Forbidden Love
by Ms Sherlock Holmes
Summary: Being in love isn't always easy. But when you fall for someone you're not supposed to be in love with, things become much more challenging, most especially when it is against the law for the crown princess of Avalor to be romantically involved with the royal wizard.
1. Chapter 1

The sun shone over Avalor and every citizen of the kingdom was out and about, taking care of the day's business. Crown princess Elena stood on her balcony and surveyed her kingdom with an air of satisfaction. Everything was as it should be: the ships were delivering trade goods; the merchants were buying and selling; painters were creating masterpieces; and children were playing in the streets while their parents watched them. It was as if Shuriki's attack had never happened.

Elena sighed gently. She would love nothing more than to stroll down the streets of the town below but she had a meeting with the Grand Council in an hour. As she turned to go back inside her bedroom, an explosion resounded throughout the kingdom. Elena whipped around and saw smoke floating up towards the sky in the distance. Her eyes widened: the smoke was coming from Mateo's house. Meeting or no meeting, she had to go see if her friend was all right.

Looking up at the sky, Elena yelled at the top of her lungs. "Skylar!"

The yellow jaquin appeared from behind one of the towers and landed neatly in front of her.

"You called?" Skylar said cheerfully.

"Skylar, you have to bring me to Mateo's house!" Elena replied. "Something just happened and he might be hurt!"

"You mean that big puff of smoke I saw just now came from Mateo?"

" _Yes!_ "

"Hope on, _princesa_! We'll be there in a flash!"

Elena climbed onto Skylar's back and they took off. They flew over the town, the princess urging the jaquin to move faster. They soon landed in front of Mateo's house and Elena jumped off Skylar, sprinting for the gate. She wrenched the doors open and saw the smoke rising out of the open doors of Mateo's study. She hurried forward and went down the stairs, fighting her way through the thick cloud.

"Mateo?" Elena cried. " _Mateo!_ "

There was no reply and the smoke was so dense that Elena could see nothing past it. An idea suddenly came to her.

"Skylar! Skylar, can you hear me?" Elena called.

"I can hear you, _princesa_!" Skylar replied from somewhere outside. "What can I do for you?"

"I need you to flap your wings so we can clear this smoke!"

"You got it!" A strong wind then filled the study after those words, sweeping the smoke out of the door. Elena smiled as the room was aired out and she looked around, gasping at the sight of Mateo lying motionless on the floor, his tamborita and a spell book next to him. Elena rushed towards him and fell to her knees before pulling her friend closer, resting his head in her lap.

"Mateo, Mateo!" Elena exclaimed, gently shaking him. "Oh, please wake up!"

The young wizard stirred and coughed before opening his eyes. The princess let out an audible sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness…" she said softly, stroking Mateo's hair.

"Elena?" Mateo glanced up at her. "Oh, hey…"

"Are you okay, Mateo? That was quite an explosion."

"You saw that?"

"The whole kingdom did."

"Sorry about that… And to answer your earlier question, I'm okay."

Elena smiled. "I'm glad. What happened?"

"I was trying out a spell from the Codex Maru. As you can see, it didn't go as planned…"

Elena looked around. The whole study had been turned upside down: books had fallen off the shelves, the furniture was overturned, several objects were broken, and the fire had been put out by the explosion's blast. The princess shook her head and smiled fondly at her friend.

"Well, if I ever need to have something demolished, you'll be the one I'll call," she teased.

Mateo smiled sheepishly and Elena felt her heart skip a beat. She brushed a strand of hair away from his eyes and Mateo gazed up at her. Elena's heart started beating faster and her breath caught in her chest as she found herself unable to look away from her friend's eyes. Mateo also seemed incapable of tearing away his gaze and he slowly raised a hand towards her –

" _Mateo!_ "

Elena and Mateo each gave a start and they looked at the door. Naomi came running down the stairs, stumbling a bit as she came to a stop. She looked around the study before her eyes fell on her friends.

"I was on my way to the palace when I heard this big explosion and saw smoke coming from your house! I ran here as fast as I could to make sure you were okay," Naomi said frantically. "I would have gotten here soon if I had a jaquin or –"

She paused, taking in the sight. Mateo's head was still resting in Elena's lap and his hand was frozen in midair, his fingers inches away from where the princess's cheek had been moments ago. Naomi stared at them, one eyebrow raised.

"Did I interrupt something?" she asked.

Elena and Mateo looked at each other and quickly sprang apart. Elena's cheeks were burning as she stared pointedly at the floor, unable to meet her friends' gazes. Mateo was the first to get on his feet and helped Elena onto hers. The princes quietly thanked him and straightened her dress.

"Um, no, you didn't interrupt anything," Mateo said, sounding nervous. "Elena just came to see if I was okay. Like you did."

Elena quickly nodded but Naomi was still watching them closely. Finally, much to the princess's relief, Naomi changed the subject.

"Well, seeing that you're okay, Mateo," she said, "Elena and I should be going. We have a Grand Council meeting to attend."

"The meeting. Right," Elena mumbled. She glanced at Mateo, who rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well… Thanks for checking up on me," he said awkwardly. "I'll just… clean this mess up."

The girls nodded and Elena resisted the urge to lay a hand on the young wizard's arm as she left the study with Naomi. The princess began to make her way towards Skylar, only to stop in her tracks at her friend's next words.

"You and Mateo were looking pretty cosy when I came in," Naomi said, smirking.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Elena replied, trying her hardest to sound casual. "I was just worried that he might have gotten hurt. You saw that explosion he caused: I'm surprised he still has a house!"

"Or that he's still alive. You were so worried that you had to have his head in your lap?"

"He was unconscious when I found him."

"Oh. Well, he still seemed to be in no hurry to get up."

"We're going to be late," Elena said abruptly. "Skylar can take us to the palace."

"I'm not done with you. Not even close," Naomi replied.

"You can keep talking but I'll just end up leaving without you."

"All right, all right. Let's go."

Elena gave a satisfied nod and climbed onto Skylar's back. Naomi followed and together they flew back to the palace.


	2. Chapter 2

The girls had made it just in time for the meeting, which had been a long and boring affair. Elena was glad to have escaped to her bedroom, mostly because she could no longer endure the looks Naomi kept throwing at her throughout the entire meeting. Her cover was blown, Elena knew it. She could always deny Naomi's observations but she knew her friend would see straight through her. The princess sighed as she lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She saw no way out of this.

There was a knock on the door and Elena slowly got on her feet. She crossed the room and opened the door, gasping at the sight of Naomi. Elena stepped back as Naomi came in and closed the door behind her. The princess kept moving backwards until the back of her knees hit the edge of her bed. She slowly sank down upon it and watched her friend approach her.

"Okay… Let me have it," Elena said, sighing in defeat.

"You look like you already know what I'm going to say," Naomi replied.

"I think I do."

"Well? What am I going to say, then?"

The princess took a deep breath. "If," she said slowly, "you suspect that I'm in love with Mateo, you're right. I am in love with him."

Naomi remained silent and unmoving for so long after those words that Elena began to fear that she had been wrong in assuming that her friend had deduced her feelings for the young wizard. But that fear was soon erased when Naomi let out a cheer and nearly flattened Elena with a hug.

"I knew it!" Naomi exclaimed cheerfully. "I knew you were in love with him! Today confirmed it!"

"T-Today? You mean you've known all along?" Elena asked incredulously.

"Come _on_ , Elena. Did you _really_ think no one would notice the way you look at him? I've suspected it for _months_!"

"I'm surprised you didn't say anything sooner."

"Hey, it's not something you just spring on someone."

"I know that my grandparents and Esteban haven't noticed. If they had, I would be in so much trouble."

Naomi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Because… Because I shouldn't be in love with Mateo. It's against the law for a royal to be with the royal wizard," Elena said, her shoulders sagging.

Her friend gaped at her for a full solid minute before exclaiming, " _What?_ "

Elena nodded and let herself fall back onto her bed. "The law originally just said that members of the royal family could only marry another royal –"

"But Mateo _is_ royal! He became royal when you appointed him as royal wizard!"

"I know, I know. When the law was originally created, the members of the royal could marry the royal wizards. But then an incident took place that made the Grand Council change the law to what it is today."

Naomi raised her eyebrows and Elena could tell that her interest was piqued. "What happened?"

"One of my ancestors married the royal wizard of the time. She was in love with him and everyone thought that he felt the same way about her. But it turned out that the only thing he was in love with was power: he took over the palace and turned the whole kingdom upside down. He was eventually defeated by a wizard-in-training who, as I'm sure you've figured out, became the new royal wizard. But the Grand Council was determined to never let something like this happen again so they banned all marriages between the royal families and royal wizards."

There was a stunned silence.

"But – But that's insane," Naomi said. "Mateo doesn't have an evil bone in his body; he would never try to take over Avalor. Why punish all the royal wizards for the actions of one?"

Elena shrugged helplessly. "It's a precaution, I guess," she said.

"Can't you change the law?"

"The Grand Council would never let it happen. There might have been a chance for change if Shuriki had not attacked the palace but…" Elena trailed off, sighing heavily.

"Her attack will have ruined any chance of changing the law," Naomi stated. Elena nodded. "Well, _I'm_ on the Grand Council and I'm on your side on this."

"Thank you, Naomi. That means a lot to me," Elena said, smiling.

"What are friends for? Now, are you going to tell Mateo how you feel about him?"

If Elena had been holding something, she would have dropped it. She sat bolt upright and stared at Naomi with wide eyes.

"Are you crazy? I'm not telling him!" Elena cried.

"Why not?" Naomi demanded.

"Well, for starters, what if he doesn't feel the same way? And second, what's the point in telling him when I can't be with him? He doesn't need to know."

"I think you should tell him. And who says you can't be with him? Just go out with him in secret."

"Naomi, I have to marry when I come of age. What if I go out with Mateo and we're still together when I'm eighteen? What am I going to do? Break up with him so I can marry some prince? I'd rather avoid the heartache, thank you very much."

"You won't avoid the heartache if you're forced to be with someone you don't love. You don't want to be asking yourself how things would have turned out if you had taken a chance with Mateo. He might make you really happy."

Elena bit her lip. "That's what I'm afraid of," she whispered.

Naomi threw an arm around the princess's shoulders. "Hey, taking a risk is always scary, but it can be totally worth it. Whether you tell Mateo that you love him is up to you. I think it would be a mistake if you didn't," she said wisely.

Elena remained silent for a long moment. Naomi did have a point, but the princess was worried about the impact this would have on her friendship with the royal wizard. Could their friendship survive a romantic relationship or a one-sided love? Elena hoped it could, but she was far from certain.

"I'll… think about it, I guess," Elena mumbled.

"Good. Who knows, you might be able to change that law in the meantime," Naomi said cheerfully.

"I doubt it. There's something I didn't tell you."

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Out with it, then."

"Changing the law isn't the only way I can be with Mateo…"

"It isn't? What's the other way?"

"Giving up my crown."

Another stunned silence followed these words. Naomi stared at Elena, wide-eyed and gaping. The princess awkwardly rubbed her arm, waiting for her friend to recover her wits.

"Whoa…" Naomi said in disbelief.

"Didn't expect that, did you?" Elena replied feebly, trying and failing to lighten the mood.

"That's the understatement of the century. You seriously have to stop being crown princess to be with Mateo?"

The princess nodded. Naomi let out a low whistle.

"That's insane. They really wanted to make sure that no royal wizard came near the throne again, did they?" she said.

"Yep." Elena sighed heavily. "And it's not just giving up being crown princess I have to do, either: I have to stop being a princess altogether. Still think that telling Mateo how I feel is a good idea?"

"I do. Just trust me on that, okay?"

"I'll try…"

"Good. Like I said, you might be able to change the law within the next two years without doing anything drastic."

"Yeah… Maybe…"

Naomi patted Elena on the shoulder before getting up. "I should go. It's getting late and Dad will wonder where I am. Let me know what you decide to do, okay?" she said.

"I will," Elena said. "I promise."

"Excellent. Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Naomi."

Naomi smiled and waved before leaving the room. Elena sighed and let herself fall back onto her bed again, staring up at the ceiling. She was completely torn: part of her wanted to tell Mateo that she loved him but the other part of her wanted to hide her feelings forever. She was going to have to think long and hard about this, and she hoped that whatever course of action she decided to take was the right one.


	3. Chapter 3

Mateo was sitting in his study the next day, going over a few books. He had decided it was best to review some theory before trying out another spell from the Codex Maru: he did not want to repeat yesterday's scenario. Causing one explosion was more than enough.

The royal wizard's mind wandered to the previous day's events. It had been a delightful surprise to wake up and find that he was lying on the floor with his head resting in Elena's lap, to see her pretty brown eyes looking down at him. His heart had skipped a beat when he had felt her stroke his hair and when he saw her smile. Mateo loved Elena's smile: he thought that she had the most beautiful smile in existence. In fact, he thought that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, and he was fairly certain that he made that particular fact obvious when he had reached up to touch the princess's cheek.

Mateo groaned and hit himself on the forehead with a book. He had worked so hard to conceal his feelings for Elena and he managed to give himself away with one small gesture. He was surprised that Naomi did not say more than she did when she saw them, but he was grateful for that: he knew that if she had the faintest inkling of his feelings, she would never let him live it down.

There was a knock on the door and Mateo ran a weary hand through his hair before getting up and crossing the room. He went up the stairs and opened the door, only to immediately back away at the sight of Naomi. His friend smirked and stepped inside, closing the door behind her before going down the stairs. Mateo watched her nervously, bracing himself for whatever she was going to say.

"Relax, Mateo. I'm not here to tease you," Naomi said placidly.

"You're not?" Mateo replied, still eyeing her warily.

"No. I'm here to give you some valuable advice."

"And that would be…?"

"Tell Elena that you're in love with her."

The young wizard let out another groan and sank into an armchair, burying his face in his hands. "I knew it," he mumbled. "I gave myself away yesterday."

"You've been giving yourself away for ages," Naomi said, taking the armchair opposite of his. "I've never seen you smile at any other girl the same way you smile at Elena. There's also the fact that you get flustered when she touches you, and that you sometimes blush when she looks at you, and –"

"Okay, okay, I get your point. Does Elena have any idea about this at all?"

"Nope. She's completely clueless."

Mateo sighed in relief. "Good… She doesn't need to know," he said quietly.

Naomi huffed. "Don't tell me it's because of that stupid law that says Elena can't be romantically involved with a royal wizard?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I have my sources. You shouldn't let that law stop you from being with the one you love, Mateo."

"Uh, Naomi? That's _exactly_ what the law is for."

"And it's wrong! Why should you be punished for something someone else did years ago? You're not evil, Mateo. In fact, I don't think you could be evil even if you tried."

"Thanks… I think…"

"Look, the only way that law is going to change is by someone doing something. Elena needs to know how you feel in order to get the wheels in motion."

The royal wizard blinked. "That's all fine and dandy, Naomi, but what if Elena doesn't feel the same way? All that will do is make things awkward between us," he said.

"No, it wouldn't, because Elena wouldn't let things become that way." Naomi stated matter-of-factly. "She cares way too much about you to let something like that get in the way of your friendship."

"But…"

"Come _on_ , Mateo! Stop worrying so much and think just for _one_ moment about how things would be if you took chance with Elena and it paid off."

Mateo opened his mouth to reply, only to close it again as his mind began to wander. He found himself imagining the feel of Elena's lips against his, the sensation of running his fingers through her long hair, holding her hand, and pulling her close to him. Mateo smiled to himself, a dreamy sigh escaping him before he could stop it.

A giggle brought him back to reality and Mateo blushed as Naomi gazed at him with a knowing look. He awkwardly cleared his throat and sat up straighter.

"Had a nice daydream there?" Naomi said smugly.

"No comment," Mateo replied. "But… it would be nice to be able to take Elena out on a date or something."

"Exactly. So what do you say?" Are you going to tell her how you feel? You'll have to keep your relationship a secret, of course. For now, anyway.

"I'm tempted to do it, but there's a lot to consider here, Naomi."

"I know, but this is the only way things will change. Not just for you and Elena, but for future members of the royal family and royal wizards, too. I'm pretty sure you're not the first royal wizard to have fallen for the crown princess of Avalor since the nutcase who tried to take over the kingdom."

"I'm not. I have my ancestors' journals and some of them had written about being in love with the king or queen of their day. It's quite heartbreaking to read."

"And you don't want the same fate, do you? Watch Elena be married to some prince and write about how the girl you love will never be yours in some journal?"

"Of course not!"

"Then do as I tell you."

Mateo bit his lip and nodded. Naomi grinned and clapped her hands together before getting up.

"Good. Let me know how it goes," Naomi said cheerfully. She looked at the clock. "I'd better go; I've promised my dad that I'd help out at the harbour this afternoon."

"You don't want to be late," Mateo stated. "And I will tell you how it goes, but only because I know you would never forgive me if I didn't."

"You've got that right. See you around, Mateo."

"Yeah, see you."

Naomi waved at him before leaving the study. Mateo watched her go and sighed, running a hand through his hair. He had to be mad to do this, but the idea of Elena being with someone else was enough to convince him to follow Naomi's advice. He was a little frightened that Elena would reject him but he knew that she would do it with kindness. Mateo did not want to spend the rest of his life wondering if the princess ever returned his feelings, even if it was only for a moment. Naomi was right: he had to take a chance.

The young wizard picked up his books and closed them. He was not going to get any more studying done. Taking his tamborita, he left the study and locked the doors. If he was going to tell Elena how he felt, he was going to do it before he began to lose his nerve and have second thoughts. Mateo took a deep breath and started to make his way towards the palace.


	4. Chapter 4

Elena was sitting on the edge of the fountain in the royal garden, absently running her fingers through the water. She had been thinking long and hard about what Naomi had told her and while she was quite tempted to tell Mateo how she felt, her mind kept returning to that law and doubts would resurface. It was difficult to decide what to do: her heart said one thing while her mind said another. The princess could not recall ever being so torn.

"Why so glum, princess?"

Elena looked up. Zuzo, the spirit animal, was floating in front of her with a kind smile. The princess weakly returned his smile and took her hand out of the water.

"Hi, Zuzo," she said. "I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Does any of it have to do with a certain young royal wizard?" the fox enquired.

"Of course you would know about that."

"Hey, I'm a spirit animal: I know everything."

"I don't know what to do, Zuzo. I want to be with Mateo more than anything but as crown princess, I have to respect the law. Do you have any advice?"

"Of course I do. Why do you think I'm here?"

"What is it? I could really use it."

Zuzo watched her closely. "Follow your heart," he said simply.

"Zuzo… that's much easier said than done," Elena replied. "The law –"

"Just because something is turned into a law it doesn't meant that it's right. You won't be able to deny your heart forever, Elena, and your heart is telling you that you love Mateo and that this law needs to change."

"But the Grand Council would never allow that."

"Then you'll need to stand up to them. It won't be easy, but you can do it."

"You really think so?"

"You bet I do, princess."

Elena smiled. "Thank you, Zuzo."

The fox returned her smile. "You're welcome," he said. "Now, I suggest you compose yourself."

"Why?"

"Because Mateo is about to appear from right around that corner."

The princess's eyes widened. " _What?_ " she cried. She looked at the water and checked her reflection, tucking strands of hair back into place and straightening her dress. "How do I look?"

"You look beautiful. Good luck, Elena," Zuzo said before vanishing.

"Thanks…" Elena whispered nervously.

"Elena?"

She looked up. Mateo was approaching her, wearing the smile she loved so much. Elena returned his smile as she got on her feet, her heart pounding against her chest.

"Hi, Mateo," she said, a little breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Elena. I came by to talk to you about something. Is this a bad time?" Mateo replied.

"Not at all. What did you want to talk about?"

It might have been her imagination, but Elena thought that her friend suddenly looked nervous. Mateo rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip.

"Um… Is there somewhere we can go that's private?" he asked quietly. "I don't want to be overheard."

"Well, the only place we're guaranteed any privacy is my bedroom," Elena said.

"I normally wouldn't ask this, but can we go there?"

Elena raised her eyebrows. "You _really_ don't want anyone to hear what you have to say, don't you?" she said.

"You have no idea," Mateo answered awkwardly. "You'll understand once I tell you everything."

"Okay. Well, let's go."

Mateo nodded and Elena led him across the garden and into the palace. The princess kept glancing at her friend as they walked. There appeared to be something that was weighing quite heavily on the royal wizard's mind: he kept fidgeting with the sleeves of his robe and continuously glanced around them, as if he feared that someone would see them. Elena made no remark of this and continued their journey to her bedroom.

They soon reached their destination and they both stepped inside her bedroom. Elena closed the door behind them and turned to Mateo, who was looking even more nervous than earlier. The princess slowly approached him.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked gently.

"You might want to sit down first…" Mateo said.

Feeling fairly confused and a little worried, Elena sat at the foot of her bed and watched as Mateo paced back and forth in front of her with nervous energy. The sight was starting to make the princess feel anxious as well.

"Is there something wrong, Mateo?" Elena asked.

"No…" Mateo replied slowly. "But I probably shouldn't be telling you what I am about to say."

"That doesn't exactly sound _good_ …"

"It's not bad! Well… I guess it depends on how you look at it…"

"Mateo, the suspense is killing me."

"Right, sorry…" The young wizard took a deep breath and Elena was surprised to see him blush.

"W-Well, you see… The thing is, Elena…" Mateo began hesitantly. He took another deep breath before continuing. "What I'm trying to say is that… I... I-I'm in love with you. And have been for a while."

Silence followed his words as Elena stared at Mateo in shock, uncertain as to whether she had heard him correctly. Perhaps this was a dream she was having; if it was, she did not want to wake up. But when she saw Mateo's blush deepen as well as the worried look on his face, the princess knew that she was not dreaming at all.

"Oh, Mateo…" Elena said, her voice trembling a little with emotion.

"I-If you don't feel the same way, I completely understand. I don't know why I hoped that you might return my feelings, especially with that law," Mateo said, looking crestfallen. "And now I'm rambling… I'm sorry, I'll just go."

The royal wizard turned on his heels and made his way towards the door. Elena jumped onto her feet and ran after him.

"No, Mateo, _wait_!" she cried. Mateo paused and slowly turned around. Elena threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She felt her friend stiffen in surprise but he was soon returning the kiss, slipping a hand into her hair. The princess smiled against Mateo's lips, feeling elated.

They pulled apart for air after a while and they gazed at each other breathlessly, eyes bright and cheeks flushed. Elena smiled gently as Mateo looked astonished.

"I'm in love with you as well, Mateo," Elena said, stroking the royal wizard's cheek.

"Really? You are?" Mateo asked hopefully.

The princess nodded. "Yes, and I have been for some time."

Mateo grinned and hugged her tightly, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. Elena laughed as she held on, feeling as if a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

The royal wizard put her down and kissed her. Elena kissed him back but abruptly pulled away as there was a knock on the door. Both she and Mateo stood very still, listening intently as they stared wide-eyed at the door.

"Elena?" came Isabel's voice.

" _Isabel!_ " Elena whispered frantically.

"What are we going to do?" Mateo murmured.

The princess looked around and ran towards her closet. She opened the door and motioned at Mateo to come forward.

"In here, quick! I'll get rid of her!" Elena said.

Mateo rushed inside the closet and Elena closed the door behind him before hurrying across the room. She paused, took a deep breath, and opened her bedroom door, revealing Isabel. The princess smiled at her sister, who was gazing at her a little questioningly.

"Hey, Isa. What can I do for you?" Elena asked in what she hoped was a casual tone.

"I was wondering if you could help me with my latest invention for a minute," Isabel replied. She tried to look around her older sister. "Is someone in there with you?"

"What? No, of course not. Why do you ask?"

"I heard whispering."

"You must have imagined it. I'll gladly come help you with your invention. Just give me a minute and I'll come join you in your room, okay?"

"Okay." Casting one last glance into Elena's room, Isabel left. The princess closed the door and hurried towards her closet. She opened the door and found Mateo gazing at her clothes.

"You have a lot of dresses. And shoes," he said teasingly, flashing a crooked grin as he turned to face her.

"I'm a princess, remember?" Elena replied, playfully rolling her eyes as she pulled the young wizard out of her closet.

"I haven't forgotten. I guess Isabel's appearance is my cue to leave?"

"I'm afraid so. But I would like to see you again soon."

Mateo pulled her close. "How about tomorrow? We can have a late-night picnic on the beach," he suggested.

"That would be perfect," Elena said, smiling.

"Great. I'll take care of the details and ask for Naomi's help. She'd never forgive us if she wasn't involved."

"Naomi? Wait, did she talk to you?"

"She did. She told me to tell you how I feel."

"She told me the same thing yesterday!"

"Did she?" Mateo looked surprised. "Well, she wasn't wrong with her advice, was she?"

"No, she wasn't, and I'm glad we listened to her. You really ought to go; Isabel is waiting for me. I'll call Skylar from the balcony."

"Thanks. I just want to do something before you do."

Before Elena could ask what that something was, Mateo leaned forward and kissed her again. The princess smiled and returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around him. They soon broke apart and Elena led Mateo to the balcony, where she called out to Skylar. The jaquin appeared from around the corner and landed in front of them.

"Hello, _princesa_!" Skylar said cheerfully. "And hello to you as well, Mateo!"

"Hi, Skylar," Elena said as Mateo waved to the jaquin. "Can you please take Mateo home? He needs to leave discreetly."

"No problem," Skylar, replied. "Hop on, Mateo!"

"Thanks," Mateo said. He turned to Elena. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Definitely." Elena smiled.

The royal wizard smiled and climbed onto Skylar's back. The jaquin then took off and Elena watched them fly over the kingdom before going back inside. She closed the balcony doors and went to join Isabel in her bedroom, feeling lighter than she had in a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun had set in Avalor the next evening. Elena had managed to find a way out of that night's dinner and was now standing in front of her mirror, trying on different outfits. Naomi, who had flown in on Luna's back, was sitting on the bed and giving her opinion on each combination of clothing that Elena put together. The princess did not find the advice particularly helpful, for her friend liked everything she tried on.

"You're not helping, Naomi," Elena said, checking her reflection from every angle.

"Sorry, but all of your outfits look nice," Naomi replied.

"Thanks, but I don't want to look just nice; I want to look amazing."

"Mateo will love anything you wear. You could show up wearing an old rug and he'll still think you look gorgeous."

"While that is encouraging to hear, I still want to look my best."

"Fair point."

The princess smiled. "If you had to pick a favourite," she said, "which would it be?"

"Hmm…" Naomi deliberated for a moment before pointing. "The blue dress."

Picking up the dress in question, Elena held it against her body as she looked in the mirror. She gave a satisfied nod and quickly changed her clothes once more before fixing her hair. Once done, the princess turned back to her friend, who gave her the thumbs up.

"Perfect," Naomi said. "You're ready to go."

"Thanks," Elena replied, smiling. She looked down at her dress and smoothed out the creases and brushing away invisible dust.

"Everything okay, Elena?" Naomi asked.

"I'm just… nervous," Elena admitted. "This is my first date _ever_. Being stuck in that amulet for forty-one years didn't exactly give me many dating opportunities."

"Hey, it'll be okay. Everyone's nervous on a first date, especially when it's the very first time you go on a date. I'm willing to bet that Mateo's just as nervous as you are right now. Knowing him, probably even more so."

"Really? Everyone's nervous at first?"

"Of course. It's totally normal."

"That makes me feel a bit better."

"Good. Now, you really ought to be going; you don't want to be late."

Elena nodded. Both girls made their way to the balcony, where Luna was waiting for them. The jaquin got on her feet at the sight of them and stretched.

"Oh, princess, you look beautiful," Luna said. "Mateo's going to love it."

Elena stared at her in astonishment before glaring at Naomi. The blonde girl put her hands up in defense.

"Don't look at me, I didn't tell her!" Naomi exclaimed.

"We jaquins have excellent hearing," Luna said casually. "I heard everything you said while you were in there playing dress up. But if you want to keep this date a secret, princess, then I won't tell a soul about it."

"That would be really great, Luna. Thank you," Elena said. "Would you mind taking me to the beach and Naomi back home?"

"Not at all. Climb aboard."

"Thanks." Both Elena and Naomi climbed onto Luna's back and they took off. They flew over the kingdom and landed by the beach. The princess slid off Luna's back and turned to her friends.

"Good luck, princess," Luna said.

"Yeah, good luck. And let me know how it goes: I want to know _all_ the details," Naomi added.

Elena chuckled. "Of course," she said. "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Luna and Naomi said in unison before taking off. Elena watched them go before walking along the beach.

It did not take long to find Mateo: Elena discovered him hidden behind some large rocks, waiting for her with a smile. A blanket was spread out on the sand and several plates of food and a few candles were placed on top. The princess smiled as she came closer and gave a small start when the air suddenly turned warm and soft music began to play. She looked around for the source before turning her gaze towards Mateo, who approached her and took her hands.

"You look beautiful," Mateo said, smiling gently.

"Thank you," Elena said, squeezing his hands. "You look handsome yourself, but it's a little strange to see you out of your wizard's robe."

Mateo chuckled. "I figured that thing wasn't exactly a date outfit."

The princess giggled before looking around again. "Where is the music coming from? And this heat?"

"I performed a bit of magic before you arrived. We're the only ones who can hear the music while we're standing on the blanket. I also thought it was a bit chilly tonight so I created this bubble of heat around us. Is it too warm? I can tone it down a bit."

"I'm impressed. This is perfect, Mateo. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Shall we sit?"

"Yes, please."

The young wizard smiled and motioned at her to sit first. Elena kissed him before sitting on the blanket, smoothing out her dress. Mateo sits next to her and pours them each a cup of juice, giving one to Elena. The princess thanked him and took a sip as she admired the various plates of food.

"This all looks really good, Mateo," she said.

"Thanks, but I can't take all of the credit," Mateo replied. "Naomi helped quite a bit with making all of this. I hope my mom won't mind the sudden disappearance of food too much…"

Elena giggled. "She'll be asking herself a few questions," she said cheerfully.

"I'll come up with some type of explanation if she traces the disappearance to me."

"Who else can she trace it to?"

"I have no idea."

The princess giggled again as Mateo gave her an empty plate. She thanked him before piling some food on it, taking a bit of everything.

"Hungry?" Mateo asked as he helped himself to some food as well.

"Starving," Elena stated. "I skipped dinner for this."

"How did you get out of that?"

"I told everyone that I had a headache and needed to sleep."

"Won't they check up on you at some point?"

"Nah, I made sure to mention that I didn't want to be bothered. _Abuela_ will make sure that no one goes near my room."

"I'm sure Esteban was pleased that you got to leave from dinner."

"I heard him complaining about how irresponsible I am. He said that if I cannot attend to my family duties, then how can they expect me to fulfill my royal ones?"

The royal wizard rolled his eyes. "That's Esteban, all right. You know, sometimes I think he wishes that _he_ was the one ruling Avalor," he said, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"He hates being told what to do, and he must hate even more taking orders from a sixteen-year-old girl," Elena replied, shrugging. "I bet he thinks that being a ruler means complete freedom. Not from my end: I can't make a decision without the approval of the Grand Council."

"For now. Once you're queen, you'll be able to rule without them."

"True… It would definitely make changing the marriage law a little easier. I'd still have to fight the Grand Council, though: they could still attempt to delay any change I try to make."

"At least they'd be forced to revise the law under your orders. That's better than nothing."

"Yeah…" Elena looked towards the water, sighing quietly. How was she going to change that law? Her grandparents might consider revising it but Esteban would be adamant in keeping it and would present several – and unfortunately convincing – arguments to get his way. How she was going to appear more persuasive than her cousin, Elena did not know.

A warm hand covered hers and the princess looked at Mateo, who was gazing at her with a concerned expression.

"Hey…" he said gently. "We'll get through this somehow. We'll find a way to make this work."

"It won't be easy, Mateo. Changing that law is next to impossible and me giving up my crown would create a scandal of epic proportions," Elena replied solemnly.

"I know, and I would never ask you to give up your crown. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do, and I really appreciate that."

"Good. Now, let's forget about this for just a little while and enjoy our picnic."

Elena smiled. "I couldn't agree more."

Mateo returned the smile and they both began to eat. Once they were finished, the royal wizard cleared a space on the blanket and got to his feet, offering the princess his hand. She blinked and took his hand, letting herself be helped onto her feet. Mateo smiled and pulled her close, placing one hand on her waist and keeping hold of her hand with the other. Realising what his intentions were, Elena returned the smile and placed her free hand on his shoulder. They began to dance, following the rhythm of the music.

"I never knew that you were such a romantic," Elena said.

"Thank Mom for that. She made sure that I knew how to be romantic with a girl," Mateo replied.

"I would if I could," Elena stated, resting her head on his shoulder. Mateo kissed the top of her head in response.

They danced for a long while before Mateo noticed it was getting late. Elena reluctantly began to pull away but the young wizard stopped her by pressing a kiss to her lips. The princess's eyes fluttered close as she returned the kiss, a small sigh escaping her. Mateo broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you…" he whispered gently.

"I love you, too," Elena murmured. "I'll help you clean up."

"There's no need." Mateo took out his tamborita and performed a spell. The candles snuffed themselves out and flew into a nearby basket along with the plates, utensils, cups, and what was left of the food. He then performed another spell and the music and the heat vanished. Elena shivered at the breeze.

"Oops, sorry. I forgot how cold it actually is," Mateo said, hunching his shoulders in an apologetic manner.

"It's okay. Come on, let's fold up this blanket," Elena said kindly.

She took one end of the blanket and Mateo grabbed the other before folding it. When that was done, Mateo took the blanket and the basket with one hand and held out the other for Elena to take. Elena took his hand and they walked along the beach at a leisurely pace. When they reached the town, they found Luna waiting for them.

"Luna?" Elena said in mild surprise.

"Hello, princess. I figured that since you needed a ride here, you'd need one to go home," Luna said, smiling. "Hey, Mateo. Did you both have fun on your date?"

"Um… yes…" Mateo looked at Elena. "She knows this was a date?"

"Uh, yeah… She overheard me and Naomi talking while I was getting ready but she promised not to tell anyone. Right, Luna?"

"My lips are sealed, princess."

"Well… okay," Mateo said. "Thanks, Luna."

"It's my pleasure."

The royal wizard smiled at the jaquin before turning to Elena. "Well, I guess this is goodnight."

"I guess so," Elena said. "But we'll see each other again soon, right?"

"Of course. I often swing by the palace: we'll be able to see each other plenty of times."

Elena sighed and shook her head with a fond smile.

"Uh, Mateo? That's not what she meant," Luna chimed in helpfully.

"What?" Mateo paused for a moment before a look of dawning comprehension came over his face. " _Oh!_ Yes, of course we'll have another date soon!"

Both Luna and Elena giggled as the latter gave the royal wizard a kiss. "Great. I'm looking forward to it already," the princess said. "Goodnight, Mateo."

"Goodnight, Elena," Mateo replied, smiling softly.

Elena blew him another kiss before climbing onto Luna's back and taking off towards the palace. The princess sighed happily as they flew over the kingdom.

"So you had fun tonight, princess?" Luna asked.

"I sure did, Luna," Elena replied. "Mateo's such a great guy."

"There's no doubt about that. How important is it for your relationship with him to be a secret?"

"I can't describe in words how important that is."

"Okay. I was just being curious."

The princess nodded and remained silent for the rest of the ride, trying to keep her mind from imagining what might happen if her secret was discovered.


	6. Chapter 6

The weeks went by without a hitch. Elena and Mateo concealed their relationship with much care, acting perfectly friendly towards each other in public and only had dates once a week on different days. The dates themselves were fun and romantic and left the princess feeling as light as air. Everything was perfect in her view.

But, naturally, such a perfect streak could not last forever. Elena returned from her weekly rendezvous with Mateo and had just been dropped off onto her balcony by Luna. The princess thanked the jaquin before slipping into her bedroom and quietly closing the door. She turned around and froze at the sight of Isabel sitting on her bed, who was watching her curiously. Elena swallowed thickly and gave her sister an awkward smile.

"Hey, Isa… What are you doing here?" Elena asked nervously.

"I couldn't sleep so I came to see you. But you weren't here," Isabel replied. "Where were you?"

"Uh…" Elena had no intention to tell her sister that she had spent the evening rowing along Avalor Bay with Mateo. She tried to deflect the question with another.

"You waited here the whole time?" Elena said, hoping she sounded casual.

"No. I was looking for you all over the palace when I happened to look out a window and saw you flying in on Luna's back. You didn't answer the question."

"Um, well… You see, I had to…" Elena began, but she trailed off as Isabel raised an eyebrow. The princess sighed; she could not lie to her sister. She made her way to the bed and sat next to Isabel.

"I'll tell you where I was, but you need to promise that you won't tell _anyone_ ," Elena said earnestly.

"I promise. So where were you?" Isabel pressed on.

"I… was out on Avalor Bay. With Mateo."

"What were you both doing over there?"

The princess bit her lip. "We were on a date," she whispered. "Mateo is my boyfriend."

Her sister stared at her with slightly wide eyes. "Mateo is your _boyfriend_?" Isabel repeated incredulously. "Since _when_?"

"For about a month now. We've been dating in secret because of that awful law that says we cannot be together."

"Whoa… Well, it definitely takes some guts to go against the law, especially when you're crown princess."

"I normally wouldn't go against a law but this law is wrong: it's punishing innocent people for the actions of one bad apple and I want to do something about it."

"Like what?"

"I haven't exactly figured that part out yet… But I'll find a way to change that law; you can count on that."

Isabel watched Elena for a long moment before speaking. "Do you love him?" she asked.

"I do, Isa. He's such a great guy," Elena replied, unable to keep herself from sighing dreamily as she replayed that night's date in her mind.

"And he loves you? And treats you right?"

"He does. He treats me like a queen."

"Well, if he's making you happy, then I'm all for it," Isabel said, smiling.

Elena sighed in relief and tightly hugged her sister. "Thank you. That means so much to me," she whispered.

"Your happiness is important to me. So, tell me, what's Mateo like as a boyfriend?"

"He's amazing, Isa. He's completely romantic and a perfect gentleman. I couldn't ask for anything better."

"That's good to hear. How did you guys manage to get a boat tonight?"

"Naomi took care of that detail."

"Naomi? She knows about this?"

"Yes, and so does Luna."

Isabel looked a little hurt. "You told Naomi and Luna about your relationship but not me?" she asked.

"That's not how it went… Naomi deduced that Mateo and I are in love with each other and encouraged us to start dating. If it hadn't been for her, we'd still be hiding our feelings. Luna found out by accident: she overheard me and Naomi talking on the night of my very first date with Mateo."

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"Because… the less people who know about it, the better. The secret has more of a chance to get out when more people know about it. Plus, I didn't want _abuelo_ and _abuela_ and Esteban to find out. It's not that I don't trust you, Isa; I honestly do. It's just that the last thing I need is to be accidentally overheard again. I know that you would never divulge any of my secrets."

"Of course not. That wouldn't be a very sisterly thing to do. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"You have no idea how much I appreciate that. Thank you so much."

Isabel smiled. "You're welcome."

Elena hugged her again and had to stifle a yawn. "We should go to bed," she stated, a little sleepily.

"Can I stay here with you? I don't feel like going all the way back to my room," Isabel said.

"Of course you can. Make yourself comfortable while I change my clothes."

Isabel grinned and slipped under the blankets. Elena wandered to her dresser and changed into her pyjamas before joining her sister in bed.

"Goodnight, Isabel," Elena said.

"Goodnight, Elena," Isabel replied.

The princess smiled before closing her eyes and soon both she and her sister fell into a peaceful sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The next couple of months went by quickly and the next thing Elena knew, it was Christmas. The palace was decorated for the upcoming ball and the smell of food lingered in the air as the feast was being prepared – the princess had caught Armando lurking around the kitchen, trying to get a taste of everything that was being made. Everyone was in the palace, including Esteban, was in high spirits.

As the hour of the ball approached on Christmas Day and the guests began to arrive, Elena changed into her ball gown and carefully placed her tiara on her head before going downstairs. She was crossing the entrance hall and was making her way towards the throne room when she heard someone call her name.

"Psst, Elena!"

The princess turned around and found Mateo standing by the hall closet, motioning at her to come closer. Elena grinned and made sure no one was watching before hurrying towards him. The royal wizard smiled and pulled her inside the closet, quietly closing the door behind them.

"Hello, Mateo," Elena said cheerfully. " _Feliz Navidad_."

" _Feliz Navidad_ , Elena," Mateo replied, giving her a kiss. "You look stunning."

"Thank you. You look amazing as well. What are we doing in here?"

"I know that we said that we'd exchange gifts later on your balcony but I'm too excited to wait to give this to you. Don't worry, it's small and you can wear it."

Mateo gave her a small box. Elena took it and opened it, gasping at the sight of a beautiful heart-shaped pendant that was made out of the finest Avalorian crystal. The princess gently ran her fingers over it, unable to take her eyes off of it.

"Oh, Mateo... It's so beautiful," Elena said, smiling softly.

"You like it?" Mateo asked hopefully.

"I love it. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. Do you want to put it on?"

"Yes, please."

Elena gave the necklace to Mateo and turned around before moving her hair out of the way. The young wizard unfastened the chain and slipped the necklace around the princess's neck. Once the chain was fastened, Elena turned around again and kissed Mateo. He happily responded, wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you," Elena whispered.

"I love you, too," Mateo replied.

The princess smiled. "We ought to go the throne room. I need to greet the guests," she said.

"Of course. What do you want to do with the box?"

"Here." Elena put the box on the shelf. "I'll come back for it later."

"Perfect. Let's go."

Elena nodded and opened the door, freezing at the sight of Esteban gazing down at them. She felt Mateo stiffen next to her and they both stared at the chancellor with wide eyes.

"Ah, Princess Elena, there you are. You _do_ know that you have guests waiting for you, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Elena retorted, hoping she sounded much more confident than she felt.

"Then what are you doing hiding in a closet with Mateo?"

"We needed to talk about a private matter. That's not a crime now, is it?"

The chancellor raised an eyebrow. "No, but was it a royal mater? You know that those should be discussed with the members of the Grand Council."

"It wasn't a royal matter and why can't I talk to Mateo about them? He's the royal wizard; he's bound to be involved in royal matters."

Esteban appeared to be unable to find an answer to that statement. Satisfied, Elena motioned at Mateo to follow her to the throne room. But as she led the way there, she became uncomfortably aware of her cousin's eyes on them. The princess took a deep breath and marched on, praying that Esteban was not going to cause trouble.

* * *

The ball was wonderful. The guests were lively, the music was beautiful, and the dancing was fun. Elena had opened the ball with Mateo, who was fairly reluctant to dance in front of countless of people. But once they had started to dance, they flew across the dance floor with ease as the royal wizard's nervousness melted away. It would have been like a dream, if only Elena had not noticed Esteban watching them through narrowed eyes. She knew very well that was far from being a good sign but she had tried her best to ignore him; she was not going to let her cousin ruin her evening.

Now that the ball was over, the princess was waiting for Mateo on her balcony with his Christmas present in her hands. She looked at the sky and smiled at the sight of Luna flying towards her with the royal wizard on her back. They landed neatly in front of Elena and Mateo jumped off Luna with a smile.

"Hello again," he said, kissing Elena's cheek.

"Hello," Elena replied cheerfully. "I have something for you."

She gave him his present. Mateo took it with a smile and unwrapped the gift. Elena watched him eagerly as he took out a new set of wizard robes from the box. Mateo examined them with a grin.

"These look amazing," he said.

"They're for special occasions," Elena replied. "You like them?"

"I love them. Thank you very much, Elena."

The princess grinned as Mateo gave her a kiss. They only pulled away when Luna awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Uh, I hate to interrupt, but Mateo should get home before his mother realises he's not back yet," she said.

"Of course..." Elena mumbled. She looked at Mateo. "She's right: you should go."

"I know," he replied, giving a solemn nod. "Goodnight, Elena. Sweet dreams."

Elena kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Mateo."

The young wizard smiled softly and climbed onto Luna's back. Elena blew him a kiss before they took off and she watched them fly away into the distance. The princess returned to her bedroom and closed the doors, making her way towards her dresser. She paused in front of her mirror and smiled at the sight of her necklace. Elena traced her fingers over it, a sigh of happiness falling from her lips. She could not believe how lucky she was to have a guy as sweet as Mateo; the princess was glad that she had listened to Naomi and took a chance with the young wizard. It was truly paying off.

Her happiness was short-lived, however. Elena's mind wandered to Esteban and the look he had on his face while watching her dance with Mateo appeared in her mind's eye. Her cousin looked far too suspicious for her liking; she also swore that she saw him cast disapproving glances at her necklace whenever she was near him. That was far from being good news: her cousin had a strong penchant for rules and an even stronger dislike of Elena being the ruler of Avalor, so any rule-breaking on her part would bring much more trouble than she could possibly imagine. If he discovered that the crown princess was secretly dating the royal wizard, Elena was more than certain that Esteban would accuse her of high treason.

She sighed heavily as she undid her hair. If she was lucky, Esteban would forget everything by New Year, but she knew all too well that would be unlikely. Elena changed into her pyjamas and went to bed, resolving to pray to the heavens with all of her might to endure as little difficulty as possible.


	8. Chapter 8

Elena was making her way to that morning's Grand Council meeting, yawning quietly. The festivities had come and gone and the New Year was upon them. The princess would have preferred to spend another hour in bed but Esteban had approached everyone the day before and requested to have the meeting first thing the next day. Elena had granted his wish only because she knew he would have pestered her until she gave in if she had said no: the chancellor had made it perfectly clear that whatever he wished to discuss was of the highest importance. The princess assumed that this meeting was going to be about whatever Esteban had been doing for the last few weeks: he had been locking himself up in the library and going in and out of the palace and would not tell anyone of what he was doing. Maybe now the mystery will finally be revealed.

The princess reached the Grand Council hall and she stepped inside, finding that everyone else was already there. Naomi and her grandparents smiled at her while Esteban simply acknowledged her with a nod. Elena smiled at everyone and took her seat.

"Good, everyone's here. We can begin," she said. She turned to Esteban. "You're the reason we're here, cousin, so why don't you tell us why you've requested a meeting?"

"Thank you, Elena," Esteban replied. He stood on his feet, made his way around the table, and placed himself in front of them.

"As you all know, the princess's eighteenth birthday is fast approaching –" he began, but he was soon interrupted by his grandparents.

"Her eighteenth birthday is not until next year, Esteban," Francisco said.

"It's a bit early to plan anything for that, don't you think?" Luisa added.

Elena was eyeing Esteban suspiciously. Her cousin had something up his sleeve and she had a strong feeling that she was not going to like whatever it was.

"I'm aware of that, thank you," Esteban said irritably. "But you know what must happen when she becomes eighteen: she must not only become queen, but she must also marry."

A stunned silence followed his words. Elena's eyes widened and she threw a panicked look Naomi's way. Her friend glanced at her and the princess knew they were both thinking the same thing: Esteban was aware of something.

"We know she needs to marry," Francisco said slowly. "But you can't honestly think that we should start looking at suitors _now_?"

"We don't have to, for I have already found one for her," Esteban said. "This match would be a great advantage to our kingdom."

"W-Wait a minute!" Elena exclaimed. "You've already promised me to someone? Don't I get a say in this?"

"Elena's right, Esteban. This is her life we're talking about," Luisa said. Elena gave her grandmother a grateful look.

"Forgive me for saying this, but Elena still has a long way to go before she is capable of making the right decisions in the name of the kingdom. She does not have the type of judgement that comes with years of experience," Esteban replied placidly. "So I have chosen a suitor who would bring us many benefits."

"And who _is_ this suitor, Esteban? If your grandmother and I do not agree with your choice, the marriage will not take place," Francisco warned.

"But what if _I_ don't agree?" Elena wanted to know, but she was waved down by Francisco.

"Who is her suitor?" Francisco repeated, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"Prince Alonso of Cordoba," Esteban replied smugly.

Elena stood up so fast that she made her chair topple over. " _What?_ " she cried in disbelief. "Why _him_ out of all people?"

"A marriage between you and Prince Alonso would strengthen the ties between our kingdoms," Esteban explained, arching an eyebrow.

"But we've already built a bridge between Cordoba and Avalor for that purpose! Prince Alonso is the laziest and most arrogant person I have ever met; a marriage between us would _never_ work!"

"This union is for the sake of the kingdom, Elena. Surely you understand that?"

"I know that I must do what's best for the kingdom but marriage is a life-long commitment. Why can't I marry someone I'm in love with? Mami and Papi were in love with each other and _abuelo_ and _abuela_ are also in love. Why can't I have that?"

"Because you do not yet have the required insight to make such decisions. You don't want to do anything that would _compromise_ the throne, do you?"

Esteban's last words caused the blood to drain from Elena's face. Her knees buckled and she fell back onto her chair, which Francisco had thankfully put back up. It was confirmed in the princess's mind: Esteban knew about her relationship with Mateo. They had given themselves on Christmas Day. Why else would he have made such a remark and suddenly promised her hand in marriage to a prince? He was taking action and making sure that there was no possible chance of a royal wizard coming near the throne.

"Are you all right, _mija_?" Luisa asked worriedly. "You look quite pale."

"She's fine: this is a lot to take in, after all," Esteban said, giving Elena a satisfied smirk.

"This _is_ a bit much, Esteban. Elena doesn't need to have a suitor _now_."

"But I have already spoken to King Juan Ramón about the arrangement and he agrees that it would be a wonderful idea."

"You've spoken to him before talking to us? You had no right to do that, Esteban."

"You cannot tell me that you do not believe that this would be an advantageous marriage, _abuela_?"

"I never said it wouldn't be –"

"Then what is the problem?"

Luisa glared at Esteban before looking at her husband. Francisco shrugged helplessly.

"While his method was wrong, his reasoning is correct," he said. "Such a union between Cordoba and Avalor would be splendid."

"So you agree with him?" Luisa asked.

"I don't like how Esteban went about this either, Luisa, but I know that you also agree that a marriage between Elena and Prince Alonso would benefit Avalor. Our marriage was an advantageous one as well, remember?"

"Yes, but we, at least, fell in love. Elena doesn't even _like_ Prince Alonso."

"She has only met him once. Maybe she would change her mind if she got to know him."

Luisa appeared to consider that point. Elena watched her nervously, hoping that she would not change her mind. Those hopes were soon dashed when her grandmother looked at her and said, "Your _abuelo_ has a point, _mija_."

"So now you're saying that I _should_ marry Alonso?" Elena said despairingly.

"I'm saying that maybe you should give the prince another chance before rejecting him," Luisa said.

"She doesn't have much of a choice in the matter, considering everything is settled with King Juan Ramón," Esteban said.

"So she _is_ engaged to Prince Alonso?" Francisco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, she is. All we need to do now is host a ball during which we will make the official announcement and formally introduce Prince Alonso to our kingdom."

"This is ridiculous!" Naomi suddenly exclaimed, causing Elena to jump. She had forgotten her friend was there. "You can't just force her to marry someone like that!"

"Actually, Miss Turner, we can," Esteban said coolly. "You may go to the royal library and look it up if you do not believe me."

"Then let's vote on it. If you think Elena should marry this Prince Alonso, raise your hand."

Esteban immediately raised his hand and Francisco considered for a moment before imitating him. Luisa hesitated before slowly doing the same.

" _Abuela!_ " Elena cried, feeling hurt and betrayed by her grandmother's choice.

"I'm so sorry, _mija_ ," Luisa said sadly. "But you've already been promised and breaking that promise would bring terrible consequences."

Elena could not believe this was happening: her own family was forcing her to marry someone she did not like and could have no chance of loving. It took her a moment to compose herself and to keep her voice from trembling as she spoke.

"M-Meeting adjourned," Elena said.

She got up and left the room before anyone could say anything. She forced herself not to run and kept walking until she reached her bedroom, where she threw herself onto her bed and began to sob. What was she going to do? She was now trapped in a marriage contract she did not want but if she tried to break it, she would sever the ties between Avalor and Cordoba and bring awful consequences upon her kingdom. The situation looked hopeless in the princess's eyes.

Elena heard the door open but she did not raise her head. She felt two people sit next to her and a gentle hand touched her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Elena," Naomi said.

"Naomi just told me what happened at the meeting," Isabel said. "They can't do this to you. They just can't!"

"Apparently, they can and just did," Elena said tearfully, looking at the other girls.

"It's still wrong," Naomi stated. "You have to fight against this, Elena."

"How? The Grand Council overruled me. What am I going to tell Mateo?"

"You'll have to tell him the truth. He'll find out whether you tell him or not but it would be best if he heard it from you first."

"I'm afraid Naomi's right, Elena."

"I know, Isa, but I can't stand the idea of causing Mateo such pain: the news will break his heart."

Isabel stroked Elena's hair. "Like how it's breaking yours right now?" she asked softly.

Elena nodded and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. She buried her face in her arms and tried to muffle the sounds of her sobs. The princess heard both Naomi and Isabel whisper words of comfort to her and while she appreciated their efforts, they had no effect on her. Elena sat up after a while and wiped her eyes before looking at the other girls, who were gazing at her worriedly.

"I appreciate you guys trying to cheer me up, but I'm afraid nothing is helping," Elena said miserably. "I just need to be alone right now."

"We understand. If there's anything we can do for you, just let us know, okay?" Naomi said kindly.

The princess gave a nod and Naomi and Isabel each gave her a hug before leaving the room. Elena watched them go before getting up and slowly making her way towards her window. She gazed towards the kingdom, dreading her next meeting with Mateo for the first time since she had met him. How was she going to tell him about her engagement to Alonso? There was no way of making the news less painful for him. More tears filled Elena's eyes and she wiped them away. She was going to have to grit her teeth and do this, no matter how much she did not want to. Naomi was right: the royal wizard had to hear the news from her before anyone else. The princess only hoped that Mateo would understand that she was powerless in reversing the decision of the Grand Council.


	9. Chapter 9

Elena was waiting for Mateo in the royal wizard's workshop. Mateo came to the palace a few times a week to use the workshop and the princess knew that he was coming today. She was sitting on a chair, nervously wringing her hands as she tried to figure out how to break the news of her engagement to her boyfriend: everything she came up with was not good enough. Elena could not find anything that would lessen the pain of the news for Mateo. She was going to have to come out and say it outright.

The princess sighed and looked around the workshop. She had not spoken to anyone in her family apart from Isabel since the meeting: Elena refused to communicate with them or even look at them. Her grandmother had tried to talk to her on several occasions but the princess ignored her. The hurt and betrayal she felt was overwhelming: the last thing she had expected was for her grandparents to agree with Esteban like that. It was going to take a while before Elena could forgive her family for what they had done to her.

The door opened and Elena turned around. Mateo stepped inside the workshop and he looked surprised by the sight of the princess. But the surprise soon turned into a smile as the young wizard approached her.

"Hey, Elena," Mateo said, kissing her cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Mateo," Elena said, giving him a weak smile.

Mateo raised his eyebrows and examined her closely. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Mateo… Something awful has happened."

"What is it? How can I help?"

"There's nothing you or anyone else can do about this."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You see, I'm… I'm…"

"You're what? Elena, what's going on?"

"I'm engaged to be married!" Elena blurted out.

She had not meant to say the words so abruptly: they came out before she could stop them. A deafening silence followed her words and the princess bit her lip as a look of dismay came across Mateo's face.

"W-What?" he stammered.

"I'm so sorry, Mateo. Esteban called for a Grand Council meeting a few days ago and announced that he made a deal with King Juan Ramón of Cordoba: I'm going to marry his son Prince Alonso after I turn eighteen," Elena said miserably.

"Alonso? But you don't even like him!"

"I know… Esteban made this arrangement because a marriage between me and Alonso would be beneficial for Avalor. So this whole thing is more of a business deal than anything else."

"And what does the rest of the Grand Council say about this?"

"The only one who's against this is Naomi. My grandparents agree with Esteban."

"Okay, I didn't see that one coming…"

"Neither did I. I was completely blindsided by their support of my cousin."

"So… I guess we have to stop seeing each other now?" Mateo whispered.

Elena nodded, tears filling her eyes. "Yes," she murmured. "The ball that we're having to announce the engagement is this weekend and if I get caught with someone other than the guy I'm being forced to marry, a scandal will plague the family."

"I understand. But this isn't fair! You're not turning eighteen until next year; why are you already betrothed?"

"I think I know the answer to that. Remember when Esteban caught us in the hall closet on Christmas Day? I think he's been suspicious of us ever since: he's made it clear that he thinks that I'm doing something I shouldn't be and now he's trying to stop it."

"I should have known he wasn't going to let that go. I'm so sorry, Elena. If I had waited to give your gift on the balcony like we had planned, Esteban would never have seen us."

Elena touched the necklace Mateo had given her, which she had worn every day since receiving it. "It's not your fault, Mateo," she said. "Esteban is always watching me so he was bound to catch us sooner or later."

The royal wizard nodded. "I guess this is it, then?" he asked, a slight tremor to his voice.

"I'm afraid it is," Elena replied, trying with all of her might not to cry.

"Can I kiss you one last time?" Mateo said.

Elena nodded. Mateo took a step closer and kissed her passionately. The princess could no longer hold back her tears and they began to flow down her cheeks as she returned the kiss. They only broke apart for air and Mateo gently wiped away Elena's tears as he gazed at her sadly.

"I love you," he whispered, "and I will always love you no matter what."

"So will I," Elena replied quietly. "I will never stop loving you; my heart will always belong to you."

The young wizard nodded and stroked her cheek. The princess leaned into his touch and gave him a final kiss before walking away. It was not only until she had exited the workshop that she let herself breakdown completely, her sorrow causing her to drop onto her knees. This was what she had wanted to avoid: the pain and the heartache of losing the one she loved. But the princess did not regret revealing her feelings to Mateo, not one bit: the months she had spent as his girlfriend had been wonderful and she was going to treasure those memories forever. What she did regret was how their relationship was being forced to end. Elena knew that there was a great chance it would happen, but she could not help hating that law more than ever. She could still try to change it, but now that would mean to risk creating an irreparable rift between Avalor and Cordoba. Elena could not ruin the relationship between the two kingdoms: that would be disastrous for Avalor on many levels.

The princess wiped her tears away and slowly got on her feet. For the sake of her kingdom, she was going to have to grit her teeth and marry Prince Alonso. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but it what was she needed to do. It was her royal duty to do what was best for the kingdom.


	10. Chapter 10

The day of the ball arrived and the palace was filled with bustling people trying to get the preparations finished on time: the castle was given a thorough cleaning from top to bottom and the decorations were hung everywhere. The servants were chatting animatedly as they worked, their excitement contagious. There was one person, however, who could not partake in the festivities no matter how hard she tried.

Elena was sitting at her vanity table that evening, dressed in her red ball gown as she added the finishing touches to her appearance. She had just put on her tiara and was gazing at herself miserably in the mirror when there was a knock on the door and Isabel and Naomi came in, each dressed in ball gowns as well. Elena turned towards them and gave them a weak smile.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hey, Elena," Naomi said. "How are you feeling?"

"Lousy. I'm dreading this ball; I just want this nightmare to be over."

"It's going to be okay, Elena. An engagement isn't binding: maybe you'll be able to get out of it?" Isabel said hopefully.

"That could ruin our relationship with Cordoba and we really can't afford to let that happen," Elena replied. "I want to break off this engagement more than anything but for the sake of our kingdom, I can't."

Isabel gave her older sister a hug. "I'm really sorry, Elena. I wish there was something I could do."

"Thank you, Isa. That means a lot to me. I'm going to be okay, though."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…"

"You don't sound so sure."

Elena sighed and looked away. "I know," she replied. "But I have no other choice than to try to be okay."

"You don't always have to be brave, Elena. It's all right to not be okay, even when you're the crown princess."

"But the kingdom needs me to be. Besides, as long as I have you by my side, I'll always be all right."

Isabel smiled faintly and gave Elena another hug. Elena tightly hugged her back, sighing softly.

"I hate to interrupt, but we unfortunately should head downstairs. The guests have arrived and the ball is about to start," Naomi said.

"You girls go ahead. I'll catch up with you in a minute," Elena said.

"Okay." Naomi took Isabel's hand and headed for the door. Elena quickly turned around.

"Naomi? Do you know if Mateo is coming tonight?" she asked.

Her friend looked at her. "He's not," Naomi replied sadly. "He said he can't watch you be engaged to someone else. I can't say I blame him."

"No… Neither can I," Elena whispered, crestfallen. She had not expected Mateo to be there but it still hurt to know that she was not going to see him. "Thanks."

Naomi nodded and led Isabel out of the room. Elena picked up the necklace Mateo had given her and fastened it around her neck – this was the closest thing to actually having the young wizard by her side that she could have – before taking several deep breaths and leaving the room. The princess made her way through the hallways and down the stairs, where she found the entrance hall to be empty. _Everyone must be in the throne room_ , Elena thought. She stood in front of the doors to the throne room, trying to will herself to walk inside and face everyone. But she could not: Elena found herself thinking of Mateo and of life as Prince Alonso's wife and her chest tightened. Her heart started pounding to the point it was difficult to breathe and a light sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead. She felt faint and tried in vain to calm the panic that had seized her.

"Princess?"

Elena turned around and saw Gabe approaching her with a concerned expression.

"Are you all right, Princess Elena?" he asked. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, Gabe," Elena said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Are you sure?"

"Just some… pre-engagement jitters, that's all. I think I'll just go outside for a minute for some fresh air."

"I'll come with you."

"I really need to be alone for this, Gabe. I'll be fine, honestly."

Gabe did not look convinced but he nodded. "All right. Well, the perimeters have been secured and all of the guests have been accounted for, crown princess," Gabe said.

"Thank you. Go inside the throne room, I'll join you in a minute," Elena replied.

Her friend nodded once more and the princess made her way to the main entrance. It took all of her self-restraint not to run there, for she knew that Gabe was watching her. Once outside, Elena leaned against the stairs' railing and tried to take several deep breaths. A hand went up to her necklace and closed around the crystal heart pendant that hung on the delicate chain. She could not do this: she could not marry Prince Alonso no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she could. The princess recalled the conversation she had with Zuzo that morning and she could very clearly hear the words he had said to her after learning she had been crying herself to sleep every night:

 _Yes, you should do what's best for your kingdom. But what's best for the kingdom should not come at the expense of your happiness._

Zuzo was right: she could not be forced into doing something that was going to make her miserable for the rest of her life. Elena reached up and took off her tiara with trembling hands. She gazed at it, knowing that her mother and father would be disappointed if they had known of what she was about to do.

"I'm so sorry, Mami and Papi," Elena whispered. "I would if I could, but I just can't. Please forgive me."

She let the tiara fall from her hands. It landed on the ground with a small clatter and Elena picked up her skirt before running down the steps and towards the gate. There was somewhere she needed to be tonight, and someone to be with.


	11. Chapter 11

Mateo was curled up on the living room sofa, staring at the fire crackling in the grate. His mother had gone to the ball and had tried to get him to go as well but he had claimed that he was not feeling well, which was true: the young wizard was feeling downright heartbroken. He could not bear to watch the girl he loved become engaged to someone else in front of the whole kingdom. He had thought that they had much more time; he had not foreseen Esteban or anyone putting up such a roadblock. He had expected some challenges, certainly, but not one of this magnitude. The young wizard found that he could not help hating Esteban a little for this. If the chancellor had minded his own business, none of this would have happened.

There was a loud banging sound at the door and Mateo sprang to his feet. He stared at the door with wide eyes as whoever was outside banged on the door again, clearly determined to get inside. Mateo took his tamborita and cautiously approached the door, ready to strike if needed. He wrenched the door open and his jaw dropped at the sight of Elena. The princess's cheeks were flushed and she was out of breath, clutching a stitch in her side. Mateo stared at her in shock for a full minute before gathering his wits.

" _Elena?_ " he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the ball?"

"I'm… I'm not going," Elena panted, wiping sweat off her forehead. "I'm not… going to marry… Alonso."

"What? You've called off the engagement?"

"Not… exactly. Can I come in? I feel like I'm… about to pass out."

"Oh! Of course!" Mateo slipped an arm around Elena and helped her to a chair in the living room. "Did you run all the way here?"

Elena nodded as she sank down onto the chair. "Yes," she replied.

"Why?" Mateo asked, sitting opposite of her.

"Because pain and heartbreak don't make you think clearly. I just wanted to get to you."

"Do you need water or something?"

"No, I'll be fine. I don't have much time until someone notices I'm missing and starts a search party."

"All right, we'll cut right to the chase. You said that you're not going to marry the prince but you haven't called off the engagement. That doesn't make much sense."

"I'm not going to marry Alonso; I refuse to. I haven't officially called off the engagement but I kind of… did it indirectly."

Mateo raised his eyebrows. "And what does that mean, exactly?" he asked.

"Mateo, look at me: I'm dressed in royal attire but there's something missing. Can't you see what it is?" Elena replied quietly.

The young wizard gazed at her, scanning her with his eyes. She was wearing her red ball gown with the usual combination of jewellery – Mateo smiled faintly when he saw her necklace – and her hair was tied in a ponytail like it always was. She did not have her scepter but Mateo hardly expected her to bring that thing everywhere she went. It was not until he had laid his eyes on the top of Elena's head that he realised what was the missing element.

"You're not wearing your tiara," Mateo stating, frowning.

"You're right," Elena said. "And I will no longer wear it."

"What do you mean no longer wear –" Mateo paused as the meaning of the princess's words struck him. "You're – You're giving up your crown?"

Elena nodded. "That's right. I will not be queen or even a princess if that means spending the rest of my life with someone I cannot love."

Mateo could not believe what he was hearing. He was starting to think that this was all some sort of crazy dream. "You can't love Prince Alonso?"

"Of course not. He's selfish, arrogant, narcissistic, irresponsible, lazy –"

"Okay, I get your point. But are you sure you want to give up being crown princess? The kingdom needs you."

"I know… But what kind of ruler would I be if I'm miserable in my personal life?"

"Probably not a very good one… This is a drastic step to take, Elena."

"I know, and this wasn't an easy decision to make. But I can't do what they ask of me; I just can't."

Mateo gazed at Elena for a long moment before standing up. He approached her and gently took her face in his hands. The princess looked up at him, leaning into his touch.

"You're absolutely sure you want to do this? It would bring a scandal onto your family," Mateo said, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"And I feel horrible about that, I honestly do. But I am completely sure," Elena replied, her tone filled with confidence.

"It'll be quite a change, going from being a princess to being a regular girl."

"I'm sure I can handle the transition."

The royal wizard smiled. "I have no doubt about that. You're one of the strongest people I know."

Elena returned the smile. "We'll be able to be together now. No more sneaking around."

"I'm looking forward to that." Mateo leaned forward and gently gave Elena a kiss. The princess responded enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around his neck. _Definitely not a dream_ , Mateo thought, smiling against Elena's lips. The young wizard soon broke the kiss and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her neck.

"I love you…" he mumbled.

"I love you, too," Elena whispered.

"You know what I want to do?" Mateo said as he pulled away. "I want to go out tonight. Why don't we take a stroll around town? It'll be quiet since everyone's at the ball."

"That sounds perfect," Elena replied, smiling. She looked down at herself. "I should have worn something other than my ball gown."

"You can borrow some of my clothes."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Come on, my bedroom's upstairs."

The princess smiled and stood up. Mateo took her hand and led her to his bedroom, where he opened his closet and gestured at its contents.

"Pick whatever you like. I'll wait for you outside," Mateo said.

Elena nodded and the royal wizard left the room, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall, unable to believe that this was really happening: Elena was giving up being crown princess and they could be together again. Not only that, they no longer needed to hide their romance from the world. Mateo was certain that Elena would receive some hardship for leaving the throne, however, and he was going to make sure to be there for her when that would happen.

The door opened and Mateo looked up, smiling at the sight of Elena. The princess shyly smiled back and closed the door.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Beautiful, as always," Mateo replied. "Ready to go?"

"Definitely."

Mateo nodded and took her hand again before leading her back down the stairs and towards the main entrance. He opened the door and together they stepped out into the night.


	12. Chapter 12

Naomi stood by Isabel in the throne room, looking around anxiously. They were all waiting for Elena to arrive but the princess was nowhere to be seen. Gabe had mentioned that she had gone outside for a minute for some fresh air and went to go get her. Naomi hoped that Gabe would find her, mostly because she was worried about the princess but also because she could no longer tolerate listening to Prince Alonso either complain about how bored he was or brag about himself. Elena had been right about him: he was the most arrogant person in existence. Naomi wanted nothing more than to silence him

She looked at Francisco and Luisa. Both grandparents were speaking with King Juan Ramón but they were visibly worried. Naomi gazed at them for a bit before feeling a light tug on her dress. She looked down and found Isabel staring up at her.

"What's taking Elena so long?" Isabel asked.

"Her dislike of Alonso? I don't know," Naomi replied. "I'm sure Gabe will bring her in here."

"I hope so," Isabel said.

Naomi nodded and looked at the doors on time to see Gabe hurrying inside the throne room. He was carrying something and as he came closer Naomi saw that what he was holding was Elena's tiara. She glanced at Isabel, who had brought her hands up to her mouth and was staring at the tiara with wide eyes. Francisco, Luisa, Esteban, King Juan Ramón, Prince Alonso, and Armando all looked at Gabe.

"Gabe? Where is Elena?" Luisa asked worriedly.

"She's gone!" Gabe exclaimed. "I went outside to see if she was okay and all I found was her tiara on the ground!"

As Gabe showed the tiara to the others, Naomi pulled Isabel aside and whispered, "It would appear that your sister has made her decision."

"It would seem so… What are we going to do? They'll go looking for her and she'll be in so much trouble if they catch her. They won't just let her give up the throne like this; not a chance," Isabel replied urgently. "They'll drag her back kicking and screaming."

"We need to warn her. We have to go to Mateo's house; there's no doubt that's where Elena went."

"But how are we going to get there on time?"

"We're going to need help and I know who to ask."

Isabel gazed at her questioningly as Naomi looked over at Gabe. The royal guard turned his gaze upon her and she motioned at him to come closer. He raised an eyebrow but approached them all the same.

"Yes?" Gabe asked.

"Gabe, we think we know where Elena is. We need you to get one of the carriages, the fastest one you have," Naomi replied.

"You do? Great! I'll let her grandparents know," Gabe said, starting to make his way towards Luisa and Francisco.

Naomi grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "You will not!" she hissed. "We need to do this without them. Elena will be in so much trouble if they come with us!"

"What are you talking about? What do you mean by trouble?" Gabe asked in confusion.

"I'll explain on the way. But right now we need to _leave_."

"All right, _all right_. Let's go."

Casting a swift glance towards the Flores to make sure they were not looking their way, Naomi and Isabel followed Gabe out of the throne room. Once outside, the royal guard fetched the roofless carriage and brought it to the front steps. The girls quickly got inside and they sped off towards the gate.

"Will someone please explain to me what is going on?" Gabe yelled over the noise of the horses and the wheels.

Naomi launched into her explanation. Gabe listened intently, never taking his eyes off the road.

"So let me get this straight," Gabe said as Naomi finished. "Elena and Mateo are in love with each other but a law says they can't be together so Elena is giving up not only her crown but being a princess in general so she can be with Mateo?"

"You got it," Naomi said, nodding.

"And she'll be in trouble if the rest of the Grand Council catches up with her?"

"There's no way they would let her just give up the crown like that. And I wouldn't put it past Esteban to accuse her of treason," Isabel chimed in.

"It's a bit of a harsh law. Not all wizards are bad," Gabe remarked, snapping the reins to make the horses run faster.

"We know. We've been trying to find ways to convince the rest of the Grand Council to change the law but then Esteban sprang that engagement on us," Naomi said, somewhat bitterly.

"And Mateo would never even _dream_ of trying to gain the throne. That would mean hurting Elena and he would rather lose his magic than do that," Isabel added.

"I believe that. Don't worry, I'll make sure that we reach them before the others do," Gabe said.

The girls nodded as they sped down the various roads, holding on for dear life at every corner they rounded. When they finally reached Mateo's home, all three of them sprang from the carriage and ran towards the gate. Naomi banged on the door several times but there was no answer. Undeterred, she pushed the gate open and led the others to the front door, which they found unlocked. Naomi glanced at Isabel and Gabe before stepping inside, finding the place seemingly deserted.

"We should look around," Naomi said. "Gabe, you check the study and you look around upstairs, Isabel. I'll take care of the main floor."

"Got it," Isabel and Gabe said in unison before going their separate ways. Naomi searched all over the ground floor but found no sight of Elena and Mateo. She returned to the main entrance, where she found Gabe waiting for her. The royal guard shook his head at her enquiring look.

"No luck either? Yet I was so sure they'd be here," Naomi said, frowning.

Isabel suddenly came running down the stairs, skidding to a halt in front of them.

"They were definitely here! I've found Elena's ball gown on Mateo's bed!" she exclaimed.

"Well, your instincts weren't completely wrong," Gabe said to Naomi. "So Elena came to find Mateo and now they're gone. Do you think they might try to run away from the kingdom?"

"I hope not! I've only just got my big sister back!" Isabel cried frantically.

"Don't worry; I'm sure they haven't gone too far," Naomi assured her. "We'll search the whole kingdom if we must."

"Starting right now. Let's go!" Gabe said, hurrying outside.

The girls followed him. As they ran back towards the carriage, Luna, Skylar, and Migs suddenly landed in front of them.

"Hey, there! What's the rush?" Skylar asked casually. "We saw you guys coming here at breakneck speed and now you're running again."

"We don't have time to explain, Skylar. We need to find Elena and Mateo and we don't have much time to do so!" Naomi said.

"Is this about what I think this is about?" Luna intervened.

"Yes, Luna. Elena has apparently decided to give up her crown because of it."

"Give up her crown? What's going on here?" Migs demanded.

"I'll explain while we're flying. We'll help you guys look for them, Naomi," Luna said earnestly.

"Of course! Count me in!" Skylar exclaimed.

"Count me in as well. But you better provide that explanation, Luna," Migs added.

"Thanks, everyone. Now, let's go; we don't have a moment to lose," Naomi said.

The jaquins nodded and took off. Naomi, Isabel, and Gabe climbed into the carriage and followed them, travelling at breakneck speed once more. Naomi looked around them, hoping against hope that they would find the missing couple before anyone else did.


	13. Chapter 13

Elena was sitting next to Mateo on a bench in the middle of the town square, her head resting on the young wizard's shoulder. She had not felt this free since being released from the amulet: no more secrecy; no more laws; and no more breaking the rules. To no longer worry about being caught was a relief that was indescribable – it made everything even seem more beautiful in Elena's eyes.

She felt Mateo press a kiss to the top of her head and she looked up, finding him gazing down at her with a loving smile. The princess leaned up and gently kissed him. The royal wizard responded with enthusiasm and Elena could not help but giggle against his lips.

"What?" Mateo asked, smiling softly.

"Nothing. I'm just so happy," Elena replied.

"It shows. Isabel would be relieved if she knew that your spirits are back up."

"You've spoken to her?"

"She came to see me this morning. She told me how you weren't speaking to anyone but her."

"I've made her worry, haven't I?"

"You could say that."

"Poor Isa… And she'll definitely worry even more now that I'm gone. I'll find a way to make it up to her."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you. She understands that the last week has been hard for you."

"Still… I should at least apologise."

A rattling sound could suddenly be heard coming from the distance. Mateo looked ahead and raised his eyebrows. "Well, you're about to have your chance to do so," he said. "Here she comes now."

Elena quickly followed his gaze and her jaw dropped at the sight of Isabel, Naomi, and Gabe speeding towards them in a carriage. She glanced up at the sky and found Luna, Migs, and Skylar flying after them. The princess looked back at Mateo, who appeared to be just as surprised and confused as she felt.

"Elena!" Isabel cried, jumping out of the carriage as it came to a halt and running towards her sister. Elena stood up and gave her sister a tight hug.

"Isabel! What are you doing here?" Elena asked.

"We saw you were gone and came to warn you!"

"Warn me? About what?"

"That we're not the only ones who have noticed you were missing from the ball thanks to Big Mouth over here," Naomi said as she stepped out of the carriage, jerking her thumb at Gabe.

"Hey! I was just doing my job," Gabe said indignantly as he followed. "Besides, I didn't know what was going on, did I?"

"You'll be in big trouble if they find you, Princess Elena," Migs said as he and the other jaquins landed by their side. "Especially when they'll learn _why_ you left. You won't come out of this unscathed either, Mateo."

"Wait, do _all_ of you know what's going on?" Mateo asked as he stood up, placing a hand on the small of Elena's back, which she found to be a comforting gesture.

"We needed help searching for you so we had to tell them," Isabel explained. "They had to understand how important it was to find you."

"Besides, that secret of yours isn't going to stay much of a secret for long," Skylar chimed in.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"Because I can hear another carriage coming our way and it's coming fast."

They all looked ahead and saw a second royal carriage charging down the road. Elena felt the blood drain from her face while Mateo slipped a protective arm around her waist. She looked at him and he brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I've got you," Mateo whispered. "We'll face this together."

The princess squeezed his hand in response and watched the carriage come to an abrupt stop. The royal guards opened the door and Luisa, Francisco, and Esteban hurried out of the carriage. They paused and stared at the teenagers and Elena did not like the triumphant smirk on Esteban's face as his eyes fell on the arm Mateo had wrapped around her. The princess swallowed heavily and focused her gaze on her grandparents, who ran towards her.

" _Elena!_ Are you all right?" Luisa asked frantically.

"Yes, _abuela_ ," Elena replied meekly.

"What happened to you? Why are you here? And where is your dress?" Francisco said.

"Um…" Elena looked at Mateo, who gave her a nod. She took a deep breath and looked back at her grandparents. "I ran away. I'm giving up my crown and will no longer be a princess."

" _What?_ Why would you do such a thing?" Francisco exclaimed. "Is it all because you don't want to marry Prince Alonso?"

"It's part of the reason…"

"Then what is the other part of the reason?"

"Um… Well…"

As Elena struggled to reveal the truth, she noticed that her grandmother was watching her and Mateo closely. Luisa appeared to be examining their body language and it was not long until a look of dawning comprehension came across her face.

"Oh, Elena…" Luisa said softly. "For how long?"

"A while, _abuela_ ," Elena replied, hanging her head.

"And I've never noticed until now. You hid it well."

"It wasn't easy…"

"Can someone please tell me what is going on?" Francisco demanded impatiently.

"I can provide that explanation, _abuelo_ ," Esteban said, stepping forward. "Princess Elena has been breaking the law. Not only that, the law she has chosen to break resulted in an act of treason towards the kingdom: she has been dating the royal wizard."

Francisco rounded on Elena. "Is this true, Elena?" he asked incredulously.

The princess slowly nodded. "Yes, _abuelo_ ," she replied, feeling Mateo pull her closer.

"Of course, Mr. de Alma is not innocent either. He was aware of the law and yet he disregarded it completely. Maybe he wishes to have the throne?" Esteban added.

"I do not! That's a lie!" Mateo replied hotly, glaring at the chancellor.

"Mateo would never try to take over Avalor!" Elena cried. "His feelings for me are genuine!"

"And how do you know that, Elena? How do you know that you haven't been under some sort of spell this whole time that makes you think he has feelings for you?" Esteban asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're just showing that you don't know Mateo, Esteban. Forget evil; Mateo doesn't even know how to be mean," Naomi stated.

"Miss Turner, I do not recall asking for your opinion."

"I'm on the Grand Council so you get to hear my opinion whether you like it or not. How did you guys even find us, anyway?"

"We followed you. I knew you would lead us directly to Elena."

"You are just incapable of minding your own business, aren't you? You're always where you're not wanted."

"That's enough, you two," Luisa snapped as Esteban angrily opened his mouth to reply. She turned to Elena. " _Mija_ , why didn't you come to us about this?"

"Don't you think that's a bit obvious? She knew that she was breaking the law and so did Mateo. The boy will need to be arrested while the Grand Council – _without_ Miss Turner, thank you very much – will decide what to do about Elena," Esteban said clinically.

" _No!_ " Elena cried.

"You can't do this!" Isabel exclaimed.

"Esteban, don't you think you're acting a bit rash?" Luisa asked.

"No, I do not. The law is there to protect our kingdom and it must be upheld," Esteban declared. "I would have thought that after Shuriki's attack, you would have agreed." He turned to the royal guards. "Seize the royal wizard."

Gabe stepped in front of Mateo and pulled out his sword. "I don't think so. You'll have to get through me first," he threatened.

The guards looked uncertainly at Esteban. The chancellor glared at Gabe. "If you defend him, you are just as guilty," he said coolly.

"Esteban, let's talk this out –" Francisco began.

"We are past that. It is time for action."

"You'll have to arrest me, too," Naomi said fiercely.

"And me," Isabel chimed in, curling her hands into fists.

" _Isabel!_ " Luisa exclaimed frantically.

Esteban watched them carefully before looking at Elena. "I'll make a deal with you, cousin. Marry Prince Alonso and the charges will be dropped," he said.

"Didn't you hear me? I'm not marrying Alonso!" Elena replied defiantly.

"Then you leave me with no choice. Guards, seize them!"

The royal guards hesitated before obeying the chancellor's orders and heading towards the teenagers. Their paths were suddenly blocked by Skylar and Luna.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" Skylar asked.

"If you think you're going to get past us, you can think again," Luna added.

Elena was watching the scene with wide eyes, not knowing what to do. She was relieved that most of those who were present were on her side but she did not want anyone to be in trouble. She then felt a light tug on her shirt and she looked down to see Migs staring up at her.

"Hop on my back, quick!" he whispered. "You, too, Mateo."

Neither Elena nor Mateo waited to be told twice; Migs's tone was enough to tell them that they were not to resist. They climbed onto the jaquin's back and they took off, ignoring the cries of surprise and indignation from below.

"What about the others?" Mateo asked, keeping a tight hold on Elena's waist.

"They'll be fine. The other jaquins and I devised a plan to get you out of there safely," Migs said.

"Where are you taking us?" Elena said.

"Back to the palace. Yes, princess, you need to go back there. The secret is out now so there's no point in hiding. You need to talk to your family and see if you can find a middle ground."

"But Mateo will be arrested if he goes anywhere near the palace!"

"Somehow, I think your grandparents will stop Esteban from doing that. For now, anyway."

The princess looked over her shoulder at Mateo. The young wizard appeared apprehensive but he gave her a nod. Elena turned back to Migs.

"Okay. Let's go," she said nervously.

"Good. Hold on tight," Migs replied. He flew them at top speed towards the palace, flapping his wings at an alarming rate. Elena's heart was racing inside her chest – she feared what would happen the next time she would face her family. How angry were they? They were certainly disappointed in her, the princess was sure of that. But she knew that Migs was right: she had to communicate with her family. Avoiding them would solve nothing.

They landed on Elena's balcony and the princess and Mateo slid off Migs's back.

"I need to go back and see if the others are okay," Migs said.

"Of course. How could we ever thank you?" Elena replied as Mateo nodded.

"Friends help each other, especially when they're receiving the short end of the deal. In other words, you don't need to do anything."

"We'll be forever grateful. You can count on that," Mateo said.

"Glad to hear it. Now I really must go. Good luck."

With those words, Migs flew off. Elena brought Mateo inside her bedroom and she sat on her bed with her head in her hands. The royal wizard sat next to her and pulled her into a hug. The princess tightly returned the embrace, burying her face in Mateo's shoulder as she trembled.

"This is awful," Elena said miserably. "I knew giving up the crown would bring problems but I didn't think it would lead to everyone being arrested!"

"No one's been arrested yet. There's still a chance to get out of this," Mateo said. Elena could not help but notice that the royal wizard did not sound very confident.

"I shouldn't have run away like that. _Abuela_ was right: I should have talked to them first."

"Well, nothing can be done about that now; even I can't send you back in time. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next."

Elena bit her lip and nodded. Mateo kissed her temple and began to stroke her hair. The princess sighed and closed her eyes, slowly relaxing under the royal wizard's touch.

Mateo watched her for a moment. "Are you tired?" he whispered.

"Yes…" Elena replied, stifling a small yawn.

"It is quite late. You should sleep."

"Can you stay with me? I don't know if I'll ever be able to see you again after tonight."

"Of course. I'd be happy to stay."

The princess gave Mateo a faint smile before undoing her hair, letting it cascade down her back. Both she and the royal wizard lay on her bed and gazed at each other, drinking in the sight of one another.

"Goodnight, Elena," Mateo said softly, stroking the princess's cheek.

"Goodnight, Mateo," Elena whispered.

Mateo gave her a kiss before closing his eyes. Elena watched him, her mind racing. She dreaded the next morning; if she could stop time and remain forever in this moment, she would do it. The princess was quite certain that she would be separated from the royal wizard from the moment she woke up and she could not bear the idea. But she had to be strong and find a way to face her problems: it was the only way they were going to be resolved. And on that note, Elena closed her eyes and fell into an uneasy sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Isabel was sitting on the front steps of the palace with Gabe, waiting for her family to return. Skylar had brought them here while Luna took Naomi home. Isabel was glad to have escaped her grandparents and Esteban, even if it was only temporary – it gave her some time to think. Gabe remained with her because he did not want to leave her alone outside in the dark but Isabel did not mind his company: he did not interrupt her thought process once.

She sighed heavily and looked at Gabe. "Nothing," Isabel said. "I can't think of anything that could help Elena and Mateo."

"I don't think there's anything we can do. Everything is now in the hands of the Grand Council," Gabe said evenly.

"They won't change that law. Esteban will make sure of that."

"Your grandparents are more reasonable than he is. They will consider every alternative if they can see that Mateo makes your sister happy."

"I hope they do see it. I know that what happened with Shuriki and that other royal wizard was awful, but they do not represent _all_ magical beings. Mateo is one of the nicest people I know."

"Yeah, I have a hard time picturing Mateo as a type of wannabe dictator. Personally, I think he'd make a lousy villain."

Isabel let slip a giggle despite herself. A carriage could be heard coming their way and she and Gabe stood on their feet. The carriage stopped in front of the steps and the royal guards opened the doors, stepping aside to let Luisa, Francisco, and Esteban get out. Isabel and Gabe glanced at each other as Luisa and Francisco ran towards them.

"Isabel! Thank goodness you're all right! Why did you run off like that?" Luisa exclaimed.

"Esteban was about to arrest us," Isabel deadpanned. "We weren't going to stick around for _that_."

"He won't arrest you, _mija_. Your grandfather and I have talked him out of it."

"For _now_ ," Esteban intervened irritably. "I still say that something needs to be done about Elena and Mateo at the very _least._ "

"Enough, Esteban," Francisco said sternly. He turned to his granddaughter. "Do you know where Elena and Mateo went? We need to speak to them."

Isabel hesitated before replying, knowing there was no point in lying. "Migs brought them back here. They're someone in the palace," she said.

"They're most likely in Elena's room. Let's go."

Francisco ran up the steps, followed by his wife and Esteban. Isabel and Gabe hurried after them, glancing at each other worriedly. They did not stop running until they reached Elena's room, where Francisco knocked on the door. There was no answer. Francisco glanced at Luisa before opening the door and stepping inside. Isabel bit her lip and followed her grandparents into her sister's room with Esteban and Gabe close behind her.

The room was dark and appeared empty at first glance. Isabel then noticed two figures lying on Elena's bed and realised that those figures were Mateo and her sister. Luisa and Francisco slowly approached the two teenagers, examined them for a moment, and tiptoed away from the bed, motioning at the others to follow. They carefully closed the door once everyone was back in the hallway and Isabel eyed her grandparents nervously, wondering what would be their next move.

"What are you doing? I thought you were going to talk to them?" Esteban hissed.

"They're asleep," Francisco stated, raising an eyebrow at his grandson.

" _And?_ "

"They looked so peaceful. Did you see how their hands were touching, _mi amor_?" Luisa asked, smiling at her husband.

"I certainly did," Francisco replied with a smile of his own.

"Have you two already forgotten that those two teenagers have broken one of the biggest laws in the kingdom?" Esteban demanded in disbelief.

"Of course we haven't, but I have always questioned that law a little," Luisa replied. "Especially after hearing what had happened with Alacazar."

"Mateo's grandfather? What does he have to do with anything?" Isabel asked in surprise.

"It's a long story, _mija_ , and one that will not be told tonight. But I do have one question for you: does Mateo make Elena happy?"

"More than anything. He adores her, _abuela_."

"And she loves him just as much?" Francisco said.

"Yes, _abuelo_."

Luisa and Francisco looked at each other and Isabel could almost hear the cogs turning in their brains. She kept her fingers crossed behind her back, hoping for the best.

"It is too late to make a decision now. We will talk to Elena and Mateo in the morning and then decide on which route to take from there," Francisco declared.

"So you are dropping the matter?" Esteban asked incredulously.

"Only for tonight. I don't think it would hurt to let Mateo and Elena have one last night together before we make our decision. There is no point in objecting, Esteban: you are not the sole voice on the Grand Council and the majority has overruled you. I think it is safe to say that if Naomi were here, she would be agreeing with me and your grandmother."

"I should send a message to Mateo's mother so she does not worry about him," Luisa said. "Gabe, would you be able to bring it to her?"

"Of course," Gabe said dutifully, bowing.

"Thank you."

"Good. Now that everything is settled for the night, I suggest we all go to bed," Francisco said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Goodnight, everyone."

Esteban looked far from pleased but he stalked off without saying another word while Luisa, Francisco, and Gabe turned into the opposite direction. Isabel looked at Elena's room, thinking. Their grandparents' decision was better than nothing, she supposed; at least it left room for some possible change. Whatever the Grand Council decided, Isabel was going to make sure to stand by her sister and Mateo. She put a hand on the door and whispered a gentle "Goodnight" to the slumbering teenagers before making her way to her own bedroom.


	15. Chapter 15

Morning arrived the next day and Elena was lying wide awake on her bed, staring up at the ceiling while listening to the birds sing. Mateo was still sleeping peacefully next to her, curled up on his side. The princess looked at him, taking in the sight. This could be the last time she saw the royal wizard – Elena was certain that Mateo would be ripped away from her the second they stepped out of her bedroom. She was also certain that her family knew they were here and she would not be surprised if Esteban had asked the royal guards to keep an eye on her room. There was no escaping from the mess they were in.

Mateo stirred and opened his eyes. Elena smiled faintly and gently brushed a strand of hair away from his eyes.

"Morning…" she whispered.

"Morning," Mateo replied, leaning over and giving the princess a gentle kiss. Elena sighed softly as she returned the embrace, pulling him closer. Mateo broke the kiss after a moment and rest his forehead against Elena's.

"I wish we could just stay like this forever," he said, giving a sigh of his own.

"So do I. I don't want to walk out that door," Elena replied.

As she said those words, there was a knock on the door. Elena and Mateo both sat bolt upright and stared at the door with wide eyes. Nothing happened for a moment, but then the door slowly opened and Elena's grandparents stepped inside, each carrying a tray laden with a hearty breakfast.

"Good morning, you two," Luisa said with a smile.

" _Abuela_? _Abuelo_? What's all this?" Elena asked in confusion.

"We thought we might bring you some breakfast," Francisco said as he and his wife approached them.

"You're not mad at us about last night?" Mateo asked warily.

"We probably should be, but we're not. We still need to talk, however. We can do that while you eat your breakfast."

"Where's Esteban? Why isn't he here?" Elena wanted to know.

"Your _abuelo_ has pretty much banned him from this discussion. He feels we won't be able to get anything done with Esteban around and I agree," Luisa replied, giving her granddaughter a tray while Francisco gave the other to Mateo.

"You're not wrong there," Elena mumbled, her stomach rumbling at the smell of food. "Thank you for the meal."

"Yes, thank you very much," Mateo quickly added, nodding.

"You're welcome. Now eat up before it gets cold," Luisa said.

Both teenagers nodded and began to eat. Elena's grandparents watched them before speaking.

"So the two of you have been secretly dating for the past several months?" Francisco asked.

"Yes, _abuelo_ ," Elena replied.

"And your feelings for each other are absolutely genuine?" Elena could tell that question was more directed at Mateo than her. The royal wizard must have sensed that as well.

"Yes. I love Elena more than anything. I don't want the throne; I just want to be with her," Mateo said earnestly.

"Are you the one who gave Elena that beautiful necklace?" Luisa asked. Seeing the expression on Elena's face, she added: "I never truly believed you bought that for yourself."

Mateo looked at Elena in amusement. "You told them you bought it?" he said, chuckling a little.

"I had to tell them _something_ when they asked where I got it," Elena replied, shrugging.

"I'll take that as a yes to my question," Luisa continued. "So you've been dating in secret all this time and Esteban somehow found out, which explains why he was so eager to have you engaged so soon. We managed to make that connection this morning."

"I'm surprised he didn't just tell us what was going on the minute he found out. My guess is that he wanted to avoid a scandal or he thought we'd take your side," Francisco said.

"Well, he didn't avoid a scandal since I ran away when I was supposed to be present at a ball that was meant to introduce my so-called fiancé. But… _do_ you take our side?" Elena asked anxiously.

"While we _do_ think that law is a bit harsh, the past cannot be ignored. This will require a lot of time and patience as we try to figure out what to do," Luisa said.

"So you will at least consider maybe changing the law?"

"We will consider every possibility, _mija_ , and we will do it alone. We already know what Naomi and Esteban's positions are on the matter; it now takes our vote for either side to have a majority."

Elena nodded. "That's better than nothing."

"Indeed. Now, about last night –" Francisco began but Elena interrupted him.

"Before you go on, just know that Mateo had no idea of what I was going to do. And when he found out, he tried to get me to reconsider and wanted to know if I was completely sure of my choice," she said. "This was entirely my own decision."

Francisco looked at the young wizard. "Is this true?"

"Yes," Mateo replied. "I would never ask Elena to give up her crown; the kingdom needs her."

"Well, that is encouraging to hear. But, like Luisa said, the past cannot be ignored and whichever decision we make will affect future generations. But I am glad to see that your intentions are indeed pure, Mateo."

Elena smiled at Mateo, who pressed a kiss to her temple. The princess saw her grandparents smile fondly at each other out of the corner of her eye and she felt elated. Even if there was a possibility that the law would remain, it made her happy to know that her grandparents could see that Mateo would never betray her or the kingdom.

"You better finish up your breakfast. Your mother will be here soon to bring you home, Mateo," Luisa said.

"There's also a request we would like to make," Francisco said as the two teens finished their food. "While we are making our decision, we would prefer it if you did not see each other during this time."

" _What?_ Why?" Elena cried, as Mateo looked dismayed. "I thought you could see that Mateo's intentions are pure?"

"It's just a precaution, _mija_ ," Luisa said reassuringly. "We just don't want anything to compromise our decision."

"I-I guess that makes sense," Elena said quietly. She understood her grandparents' reasoning – she truly did – but it still broke her heart to know she would not see Mateo for an indefinite amount of time. The princess looked at the royal wizard and saw he appeared as heartbroken as she felt.

There was another knock on the door and Armando stuck his head inside the room.

"Pardon the intrusion, your Majesty, but Mateo's mother has arrived," he said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Armando. Please tell her we're on our way," Elena replied.

Armando nodded and retreated. Elena looked at Mateo. "I guess it's time for you to go…"

Mateo nodded. "I guess so…" he replied quietly.

"I'll get changed and give back your clothes."

"Okay. I'll wait outside."

Francisco and Luisa took the trays and brought them out of the room, Mateo following closely behind them. Elena sighed and got up, making her way towards her closet. She changed into her favourite red dress and tied her hair into a ponytail before folding Mateo's clothing. She picked up his clothes and hugged them to her chest for a long moment before joining everyone in the hallway. Her grandparents gave the trays to the servants and led the way to the entrance hall. The princess gave the royal wizard his clothes as they walked and he took them with a faint smile before grasping her hand. Elena gently squeezed his hand and kept her head high as they went down the stairs.

They reached the entrance hall and found Rafa waiting for them. She was carrying a bundle, which Elena recognised as her ball gown. The princess gave Mateo's mother a small smile, who curtsied in return.

"Good morning, Princess Elena. I have brought back your dress for you," Rafa said, presenting the bundle.

"Thank you, _señora_ de Alva," Elena replied, taking it from her. "That was very kind of you."

"It was my pleasure, your Majesty." Rafa turned to her son. "Mateo, I was so worried last night! I had no idea where you were until Gabe arrived with a note informing me of your whereabouts."

"I'm sorry, Mama," Mateo said guiltily, hunching his shoulders.

"We'll talk when we get home," Rafa said sternly, before looking at Luisa and Francisco. "Thank you so much for watching over him, your Royal Highnesses."

"It was no trouble. Mateo is a wonderful boy," Luisa replied warmly.

"Thank you. I'm glad you think so." Rafa turned back to Mateo. "Come, Mateo. We have much to discuss."

"Yes, Mama," Mateo replied quietly. He looked at Elena. "I guess this is goodbye…"

"Only for now, hopefully," Elena whispered solemnly, tears filling her eyes.

"Yeah, hopefully… Can I kiss you?"

The princess nodded and closed her eyes, causing the tears to spill down her cheeks. Mateo cupped her cheek and kissed her lovingly. Elena could feel everyone watching them but she did not care – the only one who mattered in this moment was the royal wizard standing in front of her.

Mateo pulled away and Elena was saddened to see he had tears in his own eyes as well. He stroked her cheek before turning around, quickly wiping his eyes as he made his way to the doors with his mother. The princess watched them go before running across the entrance hall and rushing up the stairs, ignoring her grandparents' calls. She ran all the way to Isabel's room and knocked on the door. Her sister immediately answered and one look at Elena's face appeared to give the younger princess everything she needed to know.

"Oh, Elena… Come in," Isabel said, stepping aside.

Elena went inside and tossed her ball gown aside without caring where it landed before sinking down on the bed. Her sister sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Did _abuela_ and _abuelo_ say they're not changing the law?" Isabel asked.

"No… They haven't decided yet. But I'm not allowed to see Mateo until they do and that could take forever," Elena answered tearfully.

"I'm so sorry, Elena… But the fact that our grandparents are undecided is a good thing, right? It means that there's a chance things will change."

"I know, but it'll be hard not to see him and he feels the same way: Mateo had tears in his eyes when he kissed me goodbye. It was so heartbreaking."

Isabel gave Elena a tight hug. "Whatever happens, I'll be right by your side. I promise," Isabel said.

"Thank you, Isa. That means a lot to me," Elena replied.

"What are sisters for? Come on, let's go do something to take your mind off of this for a while. A little sister time will do you some good."

Elena could not help but smile. "Okay."

Isabel grinned and sprinted towards the door. Elena got on her feet and followed her, eager to forget her troubles even if it was only for a short amount of time.


	16. Chapter 16

Mateo was sitting on the living room sofa, curled up in one corner as his mother stood in front of him. She had just finished reproaching him for disappearing the night before and was now waiting for him to provide an explanation for his actions. The young wizard knew he had to tell his mother the truth but it was difficult: he did not think he could bear the disappointment he knew she would feel.

"Well, Mateo?" Rafa said. "Why did you leave last night?"

"I honestly didn't mean to be gone all night, Mama," Mateo replied. "But things happened…"

" _What_ things?"

"C-Chancellor Esteban nearly arrested me and Elena. And Naomi, Gabe, and Isabel…"

Rafa's eyes widened. " _What?_ Why would he try to arrest you?"

"Because we broke the law. You see, I'm… I'm…"

"You're _what_ , Mateo?"

"I'm in love with Elena and I've been dating her in secret!" Mateo blurted out.

A pause followed his words as Rafa stood perfectly still, staring at her son. The royal wizard braced himself for the worse, certain that the yelling would soon start.

"Oh, Mateo…" Rafa said, sighing quietly. She sat next to him and pulled him into her arms, stroking his hair. Mateo blinked, not having expected this turn of event.

"Mama?" he asked uncertainly.

"You truly are my father's grandson," Rafa said.

"What do you mean?"

"Your grandfather was in this very same predicament. He, too, fell in love with one of the members of the royal family when he was young."

"He did?" Mateo was astonished.

"He did. But, unlike you, he didn't do anything about it."

"Who did he fall in love with?"

"Queen Lucinda. Princess Elena's paternal grandmother."

" _What?_ How do you know all of this? Did Grandfather tell you?"

"I found his old journals years ago. He wrote about how much he loved Queen Lucinda, but only from afar," Rafa explained.

"So he never told her how he felt?" Mateo asked.

"He never approached her on the matter because the law forbade him from doing so. But, considering how she fell deeply in love with a prince who would later become Princess Elena's grandfather, it was probably for the best."

"Poor Grandfather… I never knew. I have a pretty good idea of how he must have felt when he watched Queen Lucinda fall in love with someone else: when I found out Elena was engaged to Prince Alonso, I was devastated beyond words."

"Is that why you didn't want to come to the ball last night?"

Mateo nodded. His mother kissed the top of his head. "And Princess Elena was with you the whole time? That's why she wasn't at the ball either?" Rafa asked.

"Yes. She doesn't want to marry Prince Alonso, Mama; she doesn't even like him. Elena loves me as much as I love her," Mateo replied.

"But the law says you cannot be together, which is a shame. Princess Elena is a fine young lady: I would approve of your relationship if it were possible for you to have one."

"It might be possible. Her grandparents might end up deciding to change the law."

"Really? Well, I hope things turn out for the better."

The royal wizard gave his mother a hug. "Thank you, Mama," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Rafa smiled and stroked her son's hair. They remained silent for a long moment before a thought crossed Mateo's mind.

"Did Grandfather ever get over Queen Lucinda?" he asked.

"It took a long time but he eventually did. He always did maintain a soft spot for her, though," Rafa replied thoughtfully. "But then he met your grandmother and he loved her more than anything."

"I guess if that law hadn't existed, we probably wouldn't be here."

"You're probably right. Judging by the way your grandfather wrote his journal entries, it sounded as if Queen Luncinda did not return his feelings. That could be just how he viewed the situation, however. It is entirely possible she had feelings for him but that changed after she met Prince Salvador. But, since my father never approached her, we will never know the answer."

"That's what I wanted to avoid. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life loving Elena from afar and wondering whether she ever returned my feelings. Regardless of how things turn out, I will not regret what I did."

"Good, because you shouldn't. That law is wrong and archaic. You showed them it was wrong to implement it with your kind heart and I couldn't be prouder."

The young wizard smiled. "Thanks, Mama," he said happily.

Rafa ruffled his hair. "I need to go into town today," she said. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure," Mateo replied.

"All right. Let me just go get my things and we'll head down there."

Mateo nodded as his mother went upstairs. He leaned back against the sofa and let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that his mother was not angry about his relationship with Elena, and it pleased him even more to know that she approved of the princess as his girlfriend. The young wizard was surprised to learn that his grandfather had been in the same situation he was currently in – Mateo had never thought that Alacazar would have had feelings for anyone other than his grandmother. Did Elena know about this? Had King Raul? It was possible that Queen Lucinda had known about Alacazar's feelings for her. If she had, would she have shared that information with her son? Mateo made a mental note to ask Elena about this, only to remember he was not permitted to see her until the ruling of the Grand Council.

The royal wizard heard his mother come back downstairs and he got on his feet. He absolutely hated the idea of not seeing the princess but he knew there was nothing that could be done apart from continuing to live his life as if nothing happened. Mateo sighed and ran a hand through his hair before joining Rafa in the hallway, hoping a day of shopping would help distract him from how much he already missed his beloved princess.


	17. Chapter 17

The weeks passed and neither Elena nor Mateo heard anything from Elena's grandparents. The princess knew that they were sharing heavy discussions: Luisa and Francisco would lock themselves in the Grand Council hall every day and not come out for hours. Elena knew better than to ask her grandparents about their progress but she could not help becoming more and more anxious as the days went by. What made things worse was not being able to see Mateo: the princess missed him more than anything. Isabel had been visiting the royal wizard on her sister's behalf, delivering news and handwritten notes to both parties. But while Elena appreciated the effort, it was far from being the same as actually seeing the boy she loved. The princess hoped and hoped that Francisco and Luisa would soon make their decision.

She eventually got her wish. As Elena was eating her breakfast one morning, she and Esteban received a message from their grandparents that they were to meet them in the Grand Council hall once they were finished eating. The chancellor gave Armando a curt nod as Elena and Isabel looked at each other.

"Do you think _abuela_ and _abuelo_ have made their decision?" Isabel whispered.

"I hope so. All this tension is driving me up the wall," Elena replied.

"Can I come with you to hear the verdict?"

"Absolutely not. You are not part of the Grand Council," Esteban objected.

"She's coming," Elena said sternly. There was such a note of finality injected into her tone that her cousin did not pursue the subject.

Once breakfast was over, they each made their way to the Grand Council hall, where they found Naomi waiting outside the doors. Elena was very much glad to see her.

"Hey," Naomi said. "I got a message saying that we're having a very important Grand Council meeting."

" _Abuela_ and _abuelo_ have summoned us. They might have reached a decision about the law," Elena explained.

Her friend's eyes widened. "Oh, I hope they've decided to change it!"

"I hope so, too…"

Naomi nodded and looked over the princess's shoulder. Elena turned around and gasped at the sight of Mateo approaching them. She grinned and tears of happiness filled her eyes as she ran towards him. Mateo grinned as well and caught her as she launched herself into his arms, hugging her tightly. The princess buried her face in his neck, gripping the back of his robe.

"Oh, Mateo!" Elena cried. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too," Mateo replied, his voice trembling with emotion as he stroked her hair and kissed her temple.

Elena pulled back and gave the young wizard a kiss. He responded happily, cupping her cheeks with his hands. They only broke apart when they heard Esteban clear his throat.

"Will you two _please_ restrain yourselves? We are here on official business," the chancellor said irritably.

"Oh, lighten up, Esteban. They haven't seen each other in weeks," Isabel snapped.

"Need I remind you that until our grandparents say otherwise, that law is still in place? Not to mention it is disgraceful for a crown princess to behave this way."

"Well, I'm sorry that Elena has emotions like a normal human being."

Esteban opened his mouth to retort but he was interrupted by Francisco, who had stuck his head into the hallway.

"We can hear you arguing from inside," he said. "Come in so we can deal with the matter at hand."

"You heard him. Let's go," Naomi said, pushing Esteban inside. Isabel followed and Elena took Mateo's hand.

"Ready?" she whispered.

The royal wizard nodded. The princess led him inside the hall and found her grandparents sitting in the middle of the table with Naomi and Esteban on either side of them. Isabel was standing next to Naomi and gave her older sister an encouraging smile, which Elena tried her best to return. She and Mateo stood in front of the table, anxiously gazing at Francisco and Luisa.

Francisco stood on his feet. "The Grand Council meeting can now begin," he said. "Luisa and I would like to thank everyone for being able to come here on such short notice."

They all nodded. Francisco continued.

"Now, as you all know, it has been recently discovered that the crown princess of Avalor, Elena Castillo Flores, began a secret romantic relationship with the royal wizard, Mateo de Alva. Both parties were fully aware that this is a criminal offense, for there is a law stating that it is forbidden for a member of the royal family to form a romantic connection with a royal wizard for the sake of the throne's security. It is a law that has been present for many years and proved to be, some would say, mostly effective.

"Chancellor Esteban wishes to arrest Princess Elena and Mateo and all other partisans." Francisco threw a glare at his grandson. "But Naomi Turner, along with Princess Elena, believes that this law should be eliminated. However, an action cannot take place if it does not have the majority vote of the Grand Council, which is why we have brought you here today. Luisa and I have made a decision and require a vote." Francisco looked at his wife. "Luisa, will you do the honours?"

"With pleasure," Luisa said, standing up as her husband sat back down. She surveyed the room for a moment before beginning.

"For the last several weeks," she said, "Francisco and I have been discussing the situation. We have looked at it from every angle and considered every possibility. There was one thing, however, that we were already certain of: _no one_ is getting arrested. We do not believe that this was an act of criminal intent."

Elena let out a sigh of relief as Esteban crossed his arms. This was, at least, one less thing to worry about.

"It was not an easy journey, for both sides presented valid arguments. But Francisco and I believe that we have found a middle ground and now have a proposition to make," Luisa continued.

"And what would that be?" Elena asked nervously.

"We have decided that it might be a good idea to replace the current law with a new one. This new law we have drafted states that members of the royal family and royal wizards may marry but if there is _any_ suspicious behaviour or activity coming from the royal wizard, the Grand Council reserves the right to terminate the relationship or the marriage in order to protect the throne. Does that sound reasonable?"

Elena could not believe what she was hearing: it was more than she had ever hoped for, and the squeeze Mateo gave her hand told her he felt the same way.

"That… That's more than reasonable. That's perfect!" Elena exclaimed.

"All right, let's vote on it," Francisco said, standing on his feet again. "Those on the Grand Council who wish to keep the law as it is, please raise your hand."

Esteban immediately raised his hand. Elena watched her grandparents anxiously – neither imitated her cousin.

"And those who are in favour of replacing the law with this new one?" Luisa asked.

Naomi shot her hand in the air and so did Elena. Luisa then raised her own hand and Francisco did the same seconds later. The princess gazed around the room, tears filling her eyes as she smiled. Naomi and Isabel caught her eye and grinned broadly – _they had won._

"The majority has spoken," Francisco said with a smile. "The current law is now abolished and the new one will take immediate effect."

Overwhelmed by her emotions, Elena fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands, tears of joy and relief pouring down her cheeks. She felt Mateo kneel next to her and she could hear him trying to hold back his own tears, his whole body trembling as he tightly embraced her. The princess buried her face in his neck, gripping the front of his robe. Tender fingers took her chin and raised her head, and Elena found herself looking into Mateo's eyes. The royal wizard smiled lovingly and gave her a kiss, which Elena happily returned. It was soon interrupted by Francisco's voice.

"Elena? You need to sign the proclamation and the bill to make it official," he said, pushing two scrolls and a pen towards her with a smile. "Your _abuela_ and I drew these up last night."

Elena nodded. Mateo stood up and helped the princess onto her feet. She smiled at him and led him to the table, where she picked up the pen and added her signature to the bottom of each scroll. Elena read the words written on the rolls of parchment over and over again, gliding her fingers over them. It was finally happening: she and Mateo were free to be together at last. No more secrets and no more hiding – just pure happiness.

"I hate to burst everybody's bubble," Esteban suddenly said, sounding surly, "but what about Elena's engagement to Prince Alonso?"

"We will speak to King Juan Ramón on the matter. He seems to be a reasonable man; I'm sure he will understand," Luisa replied.

The chancellor said nothing more and crossed his arms once again. Elena sighed at her cousin's actions and shook her head, glancing over her shoulder as Mateo hugged her from behind.

"He'll get over it," he said evenly. "Eventually, anyway. Come on, we should go celebrate. Picnic on the beach just like on our first date?"

"That would be great," Elena said, glancing at her grandparents questioningly.

"Go on, _mija_. Enjoy yourself," Luisa said with a smile. "But make sure you come back on time for your meeting with Doña Paloma this afternoon."

"I will, _abuela_. I promise," Elena replied before running around the table and giving her grandparents a hug. "Thank you…" she whispered.

"You're very welcome, Elena. Now go have fun on your date," Francisco said cheerfully.

Elena nodded and made her way back around the table, stopping to give Naomi and Isabel a hug and to offer her hand to Esteban. Her cousin looked at it for a moment and, after seeing the encouraging smile on the princess's face, grasped her hand and shook it. Elena grinned and went to rejoin Mateo, who grabbed her hand and led her out of the Grand Council hall. She eagerly followed him, looking forward to the future they could now have.


	18. Chapter 18

Five years had passed since that faithful day. During this time, Elena's engagement to Prince Alonso had been called off and no rift had been created between Avalor and Cordoba – as Luisa had predicted, King Juan Ramón had understood and even sent his warmest wishes to Elena and Mateo. His son, on the other hand, had been less understanding but his father had forced him to be cordial and send his own wishes to the couple. Elena had been crowned queen of Avalor shortly after her eighteenth birthday; the public welcomed Mateo as a suitor for their new queen; Elena continued to rule with the aid of the Grand Council, believing that decisions were best made when more than one point of view was provided and when things could be examined from several different angles; she abolished the rule that stated royals had to marry at the age of eighteen; and Isabel, who was now sixteen years old, found herself a prince whom she liked very much. Everything was right in their world.

Elena was standing in the portrait gallery weeks after her twenty-second birthday, gazing at the artwork. A new portrait had been added next to the one of her parents: a painting of her and Mateo. The queen smiled as she examined it, running a hand over the frame. The portrait had been installed that morning during the wedding ceremony, as Mateo officially became part of the royal family. It had taken all of the self-control Elena had to not start crying in front all of the other nobility from the neighbouring kingdoms: to have Mateo finally become her husband was a dream come true.

She looked at the painting that hung on the other side of her parents': Queen Lucinda and Prince Salvador were gazing down upon her, smiling gently. Mateo had told Elena the story about how Alacazar had been in love with her paternal grandmother. Elena had asked Luisa and Francisco if this were true and Luisa confirmed Mateo's story, stating that it had been Queen Lucinda who had revealed everything to her one day over lunch. Queen Lucinda had admitted to once having feelings for Alacazar but they had gradually faded with time and then were completely erased not long after meeting Prince Salvador. She had considered Alacazar to be a good friend until the end of her days. Elena felt sorry for the late wizard but she was also glad that things had turned out all right for him in the end: according to Rafa, Alacazar had found an even greater love in Mateo's grandmother.

Elena then turned her gaze towards her parents' portrait. King Raul and Queen Lucia were smiling down at her, and tears filled their daughter's eyes as she returned their smile. She placed a gentle hand on the frame.

"I hope you are proud of me, Mami and Papi," Elena whispered. "And I hope you like Mateo. He will be a wonderful husband and advisor – he's already an amazing royal wizard. He will do anything and everything to protect me and the kingdom, I promise."

"Elena?"

The queen of Avalor turned around and smiled at the sight of Mateo, who was dressed in royal wedding attire: a white wizard's robe with gold designs along the edges – made specially for him to honour his heritage – worn over a white royal uniform. The royal wizard smiled at her and took her hands.

"There you are; I had wondered where you had gone," Mateo said. He gave his wife the once-over. "You look breathtaking. I've been wanting to tell you that since the ceremony but I haven't had a chance."

Elena smiled. She was wearing a white ball gown that was in a similar style to her red one and it was decorated with a pattern of colourful flowers. Her hair was tied in an elegant knot on the back of her head and a sparkling tiara sat on the top. A long white veil flowed down from behind her head and she was wearing a set of diamond jewellery that had once belonged to her mother. The necklace Mateo had given Elena for Christmas six years before was fastened around her neck, a symbol of their love for all to see.

"Thank you. You look amazing in the robe _abuelo_ and _abuela_ had made for you," Elena replied.

"I love it, and so does Mama; she couldn't stop looking at it when it was delivered to our home," Mateo said. "It was very kind of them to do that and to let my mother live at the palace with us."

"You're their grandson-in-law now. You're part of the family and so is your mother."

"I'm happy that your grandparents and Isabel are glad to have me in the family. Esteban seems to be struggling to accept that I now bear the name Castillo Flores, though. It's a matrilineal marriage; what did he expect? There was no way you would have been able to take my name."

"He wouldn't have liked that either. I think it's more to do with the fact that you're still not his first choice of a husband for me. At least he has kept his mouth shut on the matter."

"That is true. Now if he could only master his poker face, it would be perfect."

Elena let slip a giggle. Mateo smiled and kissed her. The queen loosely slipped her arms around his neck, slowly twirling a strand of his hair around her finger. When they broke apart, the royal wizard looked at the portrait of King Raul and Queen Lucia.

"Do you think your mom and dad would have approved of me?" Mateo asked quietly.

"They would have loved you," Elena replied, nuzzling him. "You make me happy, and that's all they would have ever wanted."

"That's good to hear."

"I could always ask them the next time I see them on _Día de los Muertos_ if you want."

Mateo pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That won't be necessary, but thank you for offering," he said. He then smiled. "My wife can see ghosts. Who would have thought?"

"Only on the one day of the year thanks to being trapped in that amulet for so long. Speaking of which, it was a little strange to see it again."

"It was nice of you to invite Princess Sofia and her family to the wedding."

"She freed me from the amulet and they all helped defeat Shuriki. Of course I invited them."

The royal wizard nodded and looked over his shoulder as the door to the portrait gallery opened. Isabel and Naomi came in, each wearing an identical soft pink gown. The girls approached the newlyweds and gave them a hug.

"I can't believe you're finally married!" Isabel exclaimed cheerfully.

"Remember when there was a time we thought we would never get this far?" Naomi said, smiling. She looked at Elena and Mateo. "The ceremony was beautiful, by the way."

"Thank you, and you and Isa were wonderful bridesmaids," Elena replied warmly.

"We're glad to hear it," Isabel said, grinning. "We came here because our grandparents are looking for you. They said the entire kingdom is outside the palace and they're waiting to see you."

Elena looked at Mateo. "Ready to say hello to our people?" she asked.

"More than ready," Mateo replied. "Let's go."

Isabel and Naomi grinned and left the portrait gallery. Elena took Mateo's hand and they followed their friends to the entrance hall, where they found Francisco, Luisa, Rafa, Esteban, and Armando waiting for them.

"Your Majesty," Armando said cheerfully, bowing to Elena. He then bowed to Mateo. "Your Highness."

Mateo bowed his head a little uncertainly to Armando. "It feels a bit weird to be called that," he whispered to Elena.

"You'll get used to it," she replied, kissing his cheek.

The queen's grandparents and the royal wizard's mother approached them. Luisa gave Elena a hug while Francisco shook Mateo's hand.

"We are so proud of you, _mija_ ," Luisa whispered.

"Thank you, _abuela_ ," Elena replied, hugging her grandmother tightly.

"Be good to our granddaughter, Mateo. She's in your care now," Francisco said, his voice thick with emotion.

"I will, sir. I promised," Mateo said.

"Please call us Luisa and Francisco. You're family now."

The royal wizard smiled. "Okay, Francisco."

It was then Rafa's turn to hug the newlyweds. "I am so happy for the both of you," she said. She then looked at Elena. "Thank you for loving my son the way you do. You have made him so happy."

The queen of Avalor gave a hug to her mother-in-law. "He makes me just as happy," Elena said. "And I promise to take care of him forever, _señora_ de Alva."

Rafa's eyes filled with tears and she pressed a kiss to her daughter-in-law's cheek. "Please call me Rafa from now on, dear," she said. Elena smiled and said that she certainly would.

Elena's grandparents smiled as they watched the interaction and slipped an arm around each other. "Are you ready to head out?" Luisa asked.

"Completely ready," Elena said, grasping her husband's hand.

"All right. Armando, will you please open the doors?"

Armando bowed again and opened the doors. Luisa and Francisco stepped outside together and Naomi, Isabel, and Rafa followed them. Esteban gave the newlyweds a polite nod before leading Armando out the doors. Elena looked at Mateo, who gave her a soft smile before walking out together.

The whole kingdom was indeed right outside the palace and the crowd erupted into cheers at the sight of Elena and Mateo. The queen grinned and waved at the crowd, seeing her husband awkwardly do the same out of the corner of her eye. She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze to tell him he was doing well and the royal wizard's smile widened as he visibly became a bit more confident.

"Give her a kiss!" Armando whispered eagerly.

Mateo looked at Elena, who nodded. "Go ahead," she said.

The royal wizard nodded and wrapped his arms around his bride. He dipped her with a smile and pressed a kiss to her lips. Elena smiled and slipped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss as the crowd went wild. They soon straightened up and pulled away and Elena hugged Mateo's waist, gazing at her kingdom with pride. The royal wizard wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. To be standing next to the one she loved and to be surrounded by her friends and family was more than Elena could have ever asked for. And to see the people of her kingdom so happy filled her with a joy greater than she could describe. Elena could not wait to see what the future had in store for them – she was certain it was going to be wonderful for everyone involved.

 _ **The end**_


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